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lotusthewriter · 1 year

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What I've Done - Chapter 4

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)

Rating: T

Relationships: Alphonse (Wrath) & Edward

Characters: Alphonse Elric (Wrath), Edward Elric, Sloth, Dante, Envy, Izumi Curtis, Scar, Rick, Leo; MINOR - Roy Mustang; other characters to be added

Summary: “As soon as the homunculus decides to shove these feelings down his throat and take the alchemist to Dante for once and for all, his troubled opponent finally dares to say something that stops the world from going.

“… Al?”

It paralyzes Wrath.”

A Homunculus Alphonse Elric AU.

Word count: TBA

AO3

First chapter | previous chapter

A/N: I'm aware that the chronological order of FMA 2003 is confusing in this AU, but I always enjoyed Al's interactions with the Ishbalans, and especially with Scar. I also like it because Al is questioning his existence, so I made sure to include it in this story.

I apologize if anyone is OOC here, but I want to thank everyone who has been reading the fic so far. <3

TRIGGER WARNINGS - death, grief, repressed trauma, child abuse, physical and emotional abuse, emotional neglect, canon-typical violence, self-sacrifice, suicidal thoughts, blood and injury, loss of limbs, and references to racism and genocide. (More might be added)

P/roship DNI.

“So the pipsqueak gave you a haircut?”

Rolling his eyes, Wrath instead ignores the comment, knowing that feeding Envy’s bullying only makes everything worse.

But of course, Envy knows exactly how to annoy other people.

“I wonder how the favorite must feel knowing that he failed his first mission,” he teases.

Wrath has learned better than to fight back.

“... I wonder, too,” he bites, “how pathetic you, Lust, and Gluttony are for Dante to entrust one person with a pipsqueak.”

Immediately after, he gets a punch to his gut, causing him to drop on his knees. Envy is growling like a furious animal.

“You’re just lucky because you’re an alchemist,” the older homunculus says, pulling Wrath’s now shortened hair hard.

Although it hurts like hell, something in Wrath has him smirk at the reaction, because Envy really is pathetic enough to bully people when he can’t measure up to anything himself.

Their little exchange doesn’t last longer, though, because Dante has called them all to another meeting. Usually the meetings are brief, with the exception of a few, and Dante doesn’t mention Wrath’s failure. Instead, she emphasizes on the Philosopher’s Stone, so everyone needs to try their hardest to make it happen. In the end, Dante orders Envy, Lust, and Gluttony to return to Liore, Sloth and Pride to remain in the military, and Wrath… to stay behind while everyone is dismissed.

Wrath can tell everyone is judging him as they leave, based on their looks. Envy still looks grumpy and he internally wishes he could kill Wrath over and over again. The others just ignore his existence, as usual, only this time the weight of his failure is crushing.

Still, Dante cups his face so very gently, and pushes some of his irregular bangs away from his left eye.

“Wrath, my dear,” she whispers even though nobody else is in the room. “I want you to head to Central to look for the alchemist you seek. Sloth told me he should be there tonight.”

The boy frowns. “I’m… going alone?”

Dante hums in confirmation. “You still need to prove yourself to your fellow homunculi. I know you can do it, Wrath, but they still don’t know your full potential. I want you to focus on your goal, and to keep persevering.” She rubs his cheeks with her thumbs delicately. “Can you do that for me, sweetheart?”

Wrath doesn’t hesitate to nod, though swallowing his nervous gulp, because he knows what happens when he fails.

“Good,” Dante smiles, kissing him on his forehead. “I’ll be waiting here for you. Go out there and make me proud.”

“I will.”

(Wrath’s smile doesn’t feel genuine.)

(He only smiles because Dante wants him to.)

(And that’s how it’ll always be.)

The Central is huge.

Wrath has no idea why Dante wants him to go this far. He clearly doesn’t belong out here. His first mission made sense, because it was in the forest, a place that he knew from the palm of his hand. But the Central is a whole other level that should’ve been reserved for more advanced missions.

Then again, it’s what Dante said: everyone needs to see that he’s worthy. If he couldn’t succeed in an easier task… then he should try harder to prove what he can give to them.

He should fight for himself, for the homunculi, for Dante.

That’s his whole goal.

As for his objective, however… he has no idea where to even look.

Which hotel is it? What if Ed is out in town to eat? What if the military has already called him somewhere else?

Wrath only has one way to know.

Lurking in the shadows, he manages to find a phone booth unnoticed. With great memory, he already knows what to do, and who to call. As it tries to reach the other end, he admittedly feels his gut acting out of anxiety, because… he usually stays out of the way until someone notices him.

(He only goes with Dante’s permission.)

Either way, when the other end picks up, the same coldness already speaks to him.

“You are not supposed to call this number.”

Wrath gulps, feeling like the cold has stabbed him in the chest.

“I-I… I just wanted to–”

“You’re not ready.”

This is barely lasting a minute, and he feels like he’s breaking apart with every word that comes out of Sloth’s mouth.

“B-But Dante said–”

“You’re confused, and if you really cared about our cause, you would have taken it more seriously. For starters, you wouldn’t have called me.”

Wrath’s violet eyes are blurring.

“Please, I need help,” he begs, “I need help so I can be good. I can’t fail again.”

“You need help because you only care about yourself.” Sloth doesn’t hesitate at all. “Because you are pitiful. You make no difference.”

The worst part is, she doesn’t even sound hateful. She just sounds indifferent.

And somehow, that makes Wrath cry.

He tries to swallow it back down, but Sloth likely knows.

“Don’t call this number again,” she says rather professionally, like she doesn’t know Wrath.

(Maybe that’s true, because even after three years, they only feel like strangers around each other.)

The phone dies.

Wrath involuntarily lets go as the tears burn his cheeks.

Afraid of being seen, he runs away, having not realized that it’s raining now. His clothes get the worst of it as he flees, one of his shoes flying away. He barely sees whoever is passing by, but it’s not like they would notice him or bother to worry anyway.

Sloth’s words just replay in his mind like a broken and repetitive melody, like the music Dante plays in her mansion late at night. When one is cold and brutal, the other is nostalgic and melancholic.

(Both equally haunting.)

Wrath has run so much that his legs give up and he falls in the shadows of a dark alley. There are a lot of empty wooden boxes stocked onto the other that previously served to keep food. The homunculus’ baggy, dark clothes feel too cold, and the freezing rain mixes with his hot tears. Unable to hold it in anymore, Wrath openly cries for the first time outside, not trapped in the mansion, not trapped in his room. He doesn’t have to be silent right now.

He only has his own comfort, so he hugs his knees tightly, trying to calm himself down with his own company. He was taught to do things this way.

Even if all he wants is Dante’s warm hug.

Even if all he wants is Sloth not to hate him. Or anyone in general not to hate him.

Even if…

He wants a family again.

Every time he hears Sloth’s voice now, he remembers the woman with brown hair and green eyes that always smiled at him, that always hugged him whenever he had nightmares or couldn’t sleep at night.

And he hates to admit it, but…

Wrath remembers Ed’s loyalty, his protectiveness.

And he certainly recalls the young alchemist yelling his name in the forest, because it still feels like Ed is looking for him this entire time. Especially right now in the rain.

(Does he want Ed to find him?)

Wrath is supposed to hate him.

He needs to hate him.

He does hate him.

He does.

But…

…

Maybe Sloth is right.

He is confused.

He is pitiful.

He doesn’t make a difference.

(Besides…)

(Ed would probably hate him, too.)

…

The moment Wrath hears rushing steps, he freezes in place like a statue.

Much to his bad luck, the steps are coming his way. He doesn’t dare look up, but from what his senses can tell, it seems like at least two people have come to hide in this very alley.

Somewhere near him, Wrath can tell someone is yelling angrily.

Then it’s gone.

The two strangers sigh in relief, tired out of running, probably.

“We lost him,” one of them says, satisfied. They sound… young. Like a boy. “Here, eat up.”

“I don’t want any!” The other, younger, protests. “What were you thinking?! You just picked it up out of nowhere and stole it! If Mom knew we were–”

Something… grumbles and silences the two kids.

“There, see?” The older one is soft. “You can’t be so hard on yourself.”

Wrath knows said words aren’t meant for him. He has nothing to do with those two, whoever they are.

Still…

Wrath sniffs again and sobs quietly.

“Whoa, did you hear that?” The elder boy whispers.

“It’s… a kid,” the other observes, concerned.

The homunculus doesn’t look up, afraid of what they’re going to think of him.

There’s some thoughtful silence between the three, until Wrath hears some shuffling.

“Um, hi?” The younger voice speaks up, and a hand touches the other’s shoulder, causing Wrath to flinch violently.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you,” the older one says. “Hey, are you hungry? We have some apples here, if you want.”

Sniffing again, Wrath considers it. At this point he has nothing left to lose. He doesn’t even have a place to go. Maybe he needs to eat something to clear his head.

The homunculus slowly lifts his head, indeed finding two boys gazing at him with sadness and curiosity. They look very similar, so maybe they’re siblings. Unlike Wrath, who’s pale and has purple eyes, the duo is brown-skinned and… red-eyed.

Ishbalans.

Wrath remembers Dante mentioning them when it came to the Philosopher’s Stone. He remembers Ishbal being devastated and its people massacred. This is Wrath’s first time seeing them.

He pushes these questions for later though, because the older one is holding out an apple for Wrath, even smiling at him. The fact that two strangers are being so kind to him, more than the people he has known his whole life, makes him want to cry miserably again.

Wrath barely raises his head, knowing the two are going to see through him and judge him, so he eats the apple in silence, slowly.

“I’m Rick,” the younger Ishbalan says with a smile, “and this is my brother Leo. What’s your name?”

Wrath doesn’t reply and looks away.

“Hey, aren’t you even gonna tell us your name?” Leo asks impatiently.

The homunculus insists on being silent.

Leo groans.

“Great, he’s just like Scar,” he curses under his breath. “But at least he’s eating something.”

Everything stops.

“... Scar?”

His first word surprises the two Ishbalans.

They also look shocked by Wrath, who instinctively exposed his pale face and violet eyes.

Regardless, Rick answers his question.

“Yeah, that’s him,” he replies. “Do you know him?”

Wrath shakes his head.

“Well… you could follow us and meet him, if you want,” Rick suggests. “He’s not bad like everyone makes him look like.”

Leo elbows his younger brother’s arm kind of aggressively.

“What are you doing?” He hisses. “What if he wants to hurt him? Or us, for that matter? Look at him!” Leo gestures at the entirety of Wrath’s pathetic form.

“What, now you’re going to judge him the same way everyone judges us?” Rick argues, firm but patient.

Wrath’s defenses seem to lower the more Rick speaks. He’s supposed to be on a mission that he can’t fail, and yet here he is, talking to two human boys, and one of them is treating Wrath, a homunculus, like a person.

“Don’t listen to him,” Rick reassures Wrath with a friendly smile. It reminds the latter of the past, of looking into a mirror. “I mean it, you can come with us! You don’t have to be alone.”

Wrath shouldn’t feel… warmth inside him. This is selfish. He knows Dante wouldn’t approve, nor would Sloth or any of the other homunculi. Wrath needs to find the Fullmetal Alchemist and bring him to justice. He can’t lose time.

But…

Scar is with them.

Wrath heard that Scar seeks State Alchemists. Maybe he’s looking for Ed, too.

Maybe Wrath and Scar could… team up.

He’ll do anything for his mission.

His mission only.

Wrath stands up and… takes off the dark hood that covers his head, exposing his whole head and wetting his messy black hair.

While Leo looks suspicious, Rick has the biggest smile on his face, completely welcoming of the stranger.

(Wrath tries his best not to smile back.)

#fullmetal alchemist #fma 03 #alphonse elric #fma wrath #fma 03 wrath #fma dante #fma sloth #fma 03 sloth #fma rick #fma leo #alternate universe #homunculus al #homunculus alphonse elric #fma au #abuse tw #bullying tw #neglect tw #fanfiction #long post

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ofthemegacoven · 3 months

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Rules ──⋅⋆⁺‧₊☽⛦☾₊‧⁺⋆

I. Content Warnings

Canon typical dark content, death & violence, occultism & the supernatural, mentions of & references to child neglect / abandonment, psychological torture & manipulation. Rowena is also a bit of a bitch, don’t take it personally.

II. NSFW

As of writing, this blog is not interested in writing any lewd content unless with select pre-existing connections. Lewd may be earned with time and chem, but this is not the focus of the account and the writer does not always feel comfortable engaging in such themes.

III. Motherhood

Rowena WILL NOT be having any other children besides Crowley / Fergus. Please do not assume a maternal relationship with her, interact via an OC intended to be her child, or ask to have a child with her. The answer will always be a respectful no.

IV. DNI

I will not interact with anyone regarding pregnancy and related topics, incest, or any other “taboo” topics. there are NO exceptions to this.

V. Tagging

Tagging system can be found here. Please tag mentions of pregnancy / childbirth / childrearing as the writer finds this offputting and uncomfortable. I will attempt to tag things that I think need a trigger warning as per my system, but please do let me know if there’s anything specific you need tagged.

VI. Verses.

Multiverse and oc friendly! Very, very friendly in fact, please give me them all! The only hard no is additional children!

VII. Shipping.

Multi-ship. With that being said, ships must be with chem and well-developed. I will NOT pair Rowena romantically with Gabriel / Lucifer / Chuck. I may interact in a non-shipping manner with Gabriel or Lucifer, but do not want to interact with Chuck in any way.

VII. Style.

Banter, para or multi-para. Literate and descriptive. I will match you. Please feel free to plot any time.

VIII. Disclaimer.

I reserve the right to hard or soft block as and when necessary for my own comfort.

#setup //#rules //

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fuelsfire · 5 months

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#fuelsfire — a semi-selective, mutually exclusive, indepedant multi muse for canon and original characters from percy jackson, the hunger games, the ballad of songbirds and snakes, a court of thorns and roses, throne of glass, supernatural, kill bill and more. written by raz. 29. she/they. est time zone. trigger warnings for — canon typical death, murder, violence and gore, mentions of sexual assault, mentions of child abuse and neglect, war, death of a parent a study in — knowing what it's like to be unmade, feminine rage, being the chosen one even though it's not what you asked for, being born as a sacrifice, the debt you owe the gods for existing, revenge is a forest and a two headed viper and poison, my mother is the worst person in the world and i am her favorite daughter

✧ carrd ✧ interest tracker ✧ rpthreadtracker ✧

#new pinned!!#carrd finally (mostly) done #it's good enough for rn just some details need added but they can wait #hopefully now i can get some stuff going here now! <3

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appleflavoredkitkats · 3 years

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Analysis of the “Fundy’s Mind” Stream: A Showcase of Repressed Memories and Repressed Insecurities

i. INTRODUCTION

Hi! This is going to be… something. Funny how I focus on this rather than my research homework, but I have a MASSIVE Fundy brain rot right now and I’d love to share my thoughts on Fundy’s newest stream. Fair warning, I am not the Messiah, so don’t take everything as fact. I’m open to constructive and objective discussions in replies or in DM’s, so feel free to hmu!

All of this is /dsmp and /rp by the way!

Heavy trigger warnings for derealization, parental neglect, neglect in general, self-deprecation, self-neglect, low self-esteem, death, manipulation, abandonment, loneliness, trust issues, torture mention, blood mention, and broken friendships.

Word Count: Approximately 10k.

ii. PRE-LIVESTREAM ASPECTS

Before we begin deep diving into the mind of Fundy, I do want to emphasize two major themes of this stream: 1.) Fundy’s insecurities, especially when it comes to abandonment and trust, and 2.) Fundy’s future predicting abilities. A ton (but not all) of statements uttered by the books and Fundy himself tend to have double meanings that apply to both of these themes.

We can further discuss the future predicting powers later, but to give a little background on Fundy’s insecurities: Fundy is notorious for heavily depending his self-worth on the recognition other people give him. Despite his immaturity, a lot of Fundy’s character is rooted in being heavily underestimated. This could be observed during the Pet Wars when his safety was constantly being threatened by Sapnap, inevitably making him lose a duel against him. Another way we can see this is through Wilbur’s early treatment of Fundy where he constantly infantilized him because Wilbur believed Fundy was a child incapable of being independent. This caused Fundy to appeal a lot to any type of compliment from any person- it began with Quackity ensuring him that he will gift him a lot of cookies if he votes SWAG2020, then to Schlatt complimenting him to the point that Fundy almost gave up on spying and siding with Pogtopia, then to the Butcher Army where he unhesitantly followed Tubbo and Quackity’s lead no matter how many times they made fun of him. While he revels in any type of recognition given, oftentimes, those who seem to care for Fundy tend to leave after he grows attached to them; first with Wilbur, then Niki, then Schlatt, then Eret and Phil, then Tubbo, Ranboo, and Quackity. In the Dream SMP, Fundy is very lonely and has dealt with abandonment issues left and right, but typically, he never does anything with his loneliness, as the last time he lashed out against someone who left him, nothing positive really came out of it (this is when he got mad at Ghostbur).

(Everything else is under the cut! I worked so hard on this, so please read it if you can, it’d mean a lot!)

So, with all that laid out, I want you to keep this all in mind as it is important for understanding why Fundy feels the way he does in the stream.

Now, let’s begin the analysis. First off, I believe it is important to denote the title and the tags of the stream. The stream is titled “Fundy’s Mind”, so we have to denote that this isn’t merely a dream sequence- the stream is meant to explore the complexity of Fundy’s mind. This includes his thoughts, insecurities, repressed memories, and so on and so forth. Additionally, the stream is tagged “Permadeath”, something different from what Fundy typically tags his streams. There is no clear explanation as to what this could mean, but the possibilities are:

It is hinting that the death system in the Dream SMP could be rigged, and someone is messing with the semantics of death and how it works.

It is hinting that someone will face a permanent death, and most fingers are pointed at Fundy as this is his stream. If not a permanent death, he might at least lose one of his canon lives which was hinted later on in the stream (will discuss later).

It is hinting that he was killed by the end of the dream. Not really a solid theory as we don’t actually know the repercussions of killing someone who is actively dreaming, but it is a possibility.

iii. PROLOGUE

A thing to question at the beginning of the stream is if the entire introduction was part of the dream or not. Seeing how Fundy has the same inventory from this to the next scene, it is plausible, but I don’t think it provides anything if it were a dream.

Anyway, other things to denote are Fundy’s hotbar! First noticeable thing would be the 38 baked potatoes. The website angelnumber.org explains that 38 means:

“The combination of these two numbers makes the number 38 a number which signifies joy and optimism, courage, finding creative ways to materialize abundance, reality, etc.

The essence of the number 38 in numerology are different kind of relationships, such as romantic ones, business partnerships, teamwork, cooperation, diplomacy, etc.

Number 38 people have a talent for dealing with people in a caring and creative way. They are born team-workers. They need interaction with other people to fully enjoy their lives. They are usually optimistic and have a gift of inspiring others to action.”

So far, the number 38 is viewed to be positive. It signifies financial success and cooperativeness, which is interesting if Fundy’s future arc potentially ties to working with Quackity. To further add onto symbolisms regarding success, dreamastromeanings.com says the following:

“If you dreamed of baking or roasting potatoes, that dream is a good sign. It usually indicates your finances increasing over time.

Possibly you have made some investments and now you are beginning to reap the fruits of your efforts and risky activities.”

or,

“If you dreamed of holding a potato in your hand, that dream is a bit of a warning. You might soon receive some lucrative opportunity, possibly work related.

It is advisable to think fast and accept it because you might not get a second chance.

It could also indicate that you are a bit lazy when it comes to taking chances and missing opportunities because of that.”

Both explanations refer to business opportunities and possible investments. If we combine both the explanation for the number 38 and carrying potatoes, we can assume that Fundy will be receiving a business opportunity that would be too good to miss. These explanations also imply that nothing too negative would occur, but instead, Fundy can achieve success through this business opportunity. The only arcs in the Dream SMP which I think could provide a business opportunity would either be 1.) a new warden at the prison, 2.) new member at Snowchester (low odds), but the most likely occurrence would be 3.) Quackity offers him a position at Las Nevadas. With the Quackity smiley face at the end of Fundy’s stream, we can safely believe that the job opportunity at Las Nevadas would be the most likely occurrence.

Another explanation for this is that because the 38 potatoes were brought from the seemingly real world, it could possibly pertain to something that had already happened in the past. This could possibly allude to L’Manberg, especially when the explanations behind 38 potatoes are presented to be more positive, something the current Las Nevadas arc isn’t.

Second thing to notice about the hotbar: Fundy is currently at level 5, with his EXP bar 1/18 filled. To reach level 5, one has to gain 55 EXP, and to reach level 6, one would need to gain an extra 17 EXP. If the bar is merely 1/18 filled, 1/18 of 17 would be 0.94, which when rounded off, is 1. Add 1 to the extra 55, and we would approximately get 56 EXP. The website angelnumber.org says the following:

“The number 56 symbolizes teamwork, coexistence, family, relationships, adventure and expression of freedom.

Number 56 people have diverse interests, some of which they have an in-depth knowledge of and some just general understanding.

They try different approaches in relationships, trying to keep them alive. If everything they’ve tried fails, they simply walk to another relationship.”

This could mean a lot of things. The second sentence could imply that Fundy doesn’t fully comprehend the complexity of his mind. Some parts, he may understand, some, he does not at all. This could imply that there are also more secrets hiding in his mind that we couldn’t get to see. The third sentence is more interesting as Fundy’s entire character arc involves him and his broken relationships with other people. It’s a quite accurate description of Fundy, describing how he desperately tries anything to make a relationship work, and if it fails, he could easily befriend other people even if there is a possibility that that relationship would fail like the previous.

If we ignore the number of EXP, we can merely focus on the number 5, which means the following:

“When angels are sending you number 5, they want to encourage you to have hope and to be ready to accept all the changes that are coming. Also, if number 5 has appeared just at the moment when you have been thinking about something important in your life, this number could be the answer or the solution for your problems. You should pay attention to number 5 and think of its secret meanings.

If number 5 keeps appearing by your side, it means that changes are already happening in your life. If they have not happened yet, don’t worry. They are on the way and you will feel them in the next couple of days or weeks.”

This can be connected to both the EXP number and the stream as a whole as Fundy begins to accept the gravity of his abandonment issues instead of suppressing his negative feelings towards it. Throughout the stream, Fundy is shown rejecting the idea that he is being neglected by others, but by the second half of the stream, he rejects it less and less. This could be the change the explanation is referring to as Fundy realizing his negative feelings towards his abandonment issues are valid and he needs to take them more seriously rather than brushing them aside.

With number symbolisms finally aside, we can begin analyzing the actual sequences! Fundy is seen to be approaching his “Not A Secret” Base with a sigh, asking chat if they can go to sleep so that he can go to sleep too. Fundy immediately doubts the possibility of the others in the server following through his request until Ranboo responds with a simple “okay” while Niki responds with “yiss, am asleep”. Fundy quickly flashes the members list on the screen, showing us that only Niki and Ranboo are online on the server before he showcases his new bed, claiming that he likes it.

Two interesting notes about this: 1.) he decides to sleep, which is odd enough in the Dream SMP, and 2.) him having three new beds despite only using one of them. For the first point, I’d like to refer you to what Fundy said at around 26:08:

“I just gotta sleep and then, it’s gonna disappear! And then everyone is gonna appear out of a bush and they’re gonna be ‘Surprise!’, and I’m gonna be like, ‘You guys…! You’re always pranking me, you’ve always been there for me. Every single time… except sometimes… when I needed you the most.’ I just go to bed, I just go to bed, and none of this ever happened.”

While I understand that he is referring to the dream, I also believe that this statement would be one of those types I mentioned earlier that may have a double meaning. While “I just go to bed,” could refer to him wanting to sleep and wake up from this horrific dream, it could also refer to how he easily shuts down to his abandonment issues and goes to bed instead of handling it head first. Knowing this, him going to bed in the first scene could imply that he is in this type of abandonment predicament, especially when we connect it to the second point. The color orange is meant to represent joy and warmth, and even without the symbolism, we all know orange is Fundy’s favorite color. He sees these three beds and says that he likes them, but I can’t help but feel like the other two beds are meant for two other people. I don’t think Niki and Ranboo being the only other two people on the server is coincidental; they have to relate to the two extra beds in some way.

Niki and Ranboo are two prime examples of close friends Fundy had before breaking off after a misunderstanding. Niki fought with Fundy after he had to burn the flag she made in order to gain Schlatt’s trust, while Fundy fought with Ranboo after Doomsday when they had conflicting beliefs about neutrality and sides. After both incidents, Fundy never really made his way to apologize, but Fundy has awkwardly met up with these two after a certain point. With Niki, he was forced to team with her at the beginning of the November 16th War, joking around with her and Eret, while for Ranboo, Fundy had to talk to him and Philza when they were joking around in the SMP. The meet ups definitely relieved some tension, but it never fully resolved the conflict Fundy had with both characters, so there was never a chance for him to rekindle the close bonds he had with both Ranboo and Niki in the past.

Fundy going to his favorite beds with two extra spots next to him could represent how he does cherish the friendships he shared with Niki and Ranboo, but never has the guts to actually bring back things the way that they were before. So, instead, Fundy sleeps, not wanting to think about them any further.

iv. FIRST DAY

When he wakes, Fundy checks his inventory before exiting his base, saying “Uhm, I don’t actually-” until he cuts himself off once he spots the desert. I don’t actually know what Fundy was supposed to say here, but because he checked his inventory beforehand, I believe he was trying to say “I don’t actually know where my things are,” but I could be wrong. To be fair, this isn’t too important, so we don’t have to focus on that. What we can focus on is the misplaced desert that was obviously not there before Fundy slept. We can easily infer what deserts could symbolize in dreams, especially when it comes to loneliness and the feeling of being deserted, but for better insight, consider what dreamstop.com claims about deserts:

“A dream of a desert is about something that is devoid of any feelings or care for you. It is all about them and nothing about you. Does someone show you a lack of respect? Is there someone or something in your life you dislike and adds no meaning to your life? Do you feel invisible? That no-one cares about you? Deserts represent an empty, barren place you may be trying to fill.

Desert dreams may appear when a relationship or friendship breaks down, or when you feel totally alone. You may have moved recently and have not yet made friends. You may feel homesick for all you left behind.

Being lost in a desert refers to your feelings that a situation is hopeless. You may have a problem you feel no-one cares about, even though you tried to reach out. You may feel there was no support and are feeling hurt and alone.”

You don’t need much analyzing to connect these meanings to what Fundy is experiencing. The setting of a “desert” merely pads the idea of Fundy being incredibly lonely to the point of him believing that he has nothing left to lose. Back in Doomsday, he was an optimistic nihilist, claiming that he doesn’t care much about what occurs from this point onwards as long as he can have a little bit of fun. On the stream where he created the Cube, he claimed that most people hated him anyway, so the least he could do was to make himself so hateable so other people could unite together in their hatred of Fundy even if it meant Fundy would have no companions left. Let it be known: Fundy is incredibly, incredibly lonely, and he is miserable in his loneliness, especially when his self-worth depends on how much people recognize him.

Another thing this desert could be eluding to would be Las Nevadas as it is set in the desert. I do think the desert’s main purpose is to showcase Fundy’s loneliness, but the connection to Las Nevadas is plausible.

Additionally, the dark skies Fundy sees doesn’t really need much of an explanation either. I couldn’t find a website exactly defining what it means to find a dark sky, but most of them speak of it as a negative thing, often symbolizing something terrible to come. I don’t think I need to explain that part, so we’re moving on.

Fundy is, understandably, very confused about this entire predicament. He quickly moves around his base to figure out what is going on, even messaging in chat to see if anyone would respond. Climbing up the ladders, he stands atop his base, spotting the silhouette of the Camarvan from afar. He continues to be confused, claiming he has no idea why he’s here in the first place. He claims he is “freaking out”, continuing to ask questions about where he is, and why the sky turns dark. He denotes that he isn’t at least completely alone as bunnies swarm around the desert. He begins to follow this sandstone path, every few blocks or so passing a fence with a torch stood atop it.

Here, we can infer that Fundy seems to have never seen this place before, or has no recollection of it entirely. Fundy doesn’t seem to be immensely freaked out just yet, especially since he hasn’t asked any questions about how no one is there, mostly focusing on his location and asking what the place is about.

Fundy then asks why the van is here, then zooms in on the nametags he sees at the back of the van. It is notable that something nametagged “Fundy” is shorter than another thing that is nametagged “WilburSoot”. Fundy tries to reach out for them but is unable to enter the van.

We can easily infer that this scene was meant to represent Fundy’s childhood in L’Manberg when he was being taken care of by Wilbur. Despite the lack of silhouettes, we can easily determine that Fundy is young in this scene because of how his nametag is in a much lower position next to Wilbur's, implying that whoever owns that nametag is much shorter. We can denote that by the beginning of the L’Manbergian Revolutionary War, Fundy was, in fact, a child.

Another question some of you might ask: why is the Camarvan here in the first place? While I believe it could be representative of the part of Fundy’s mind that tackles past memories, I do think it also serves another purpose which I will explain later.

Moving on to the next scenes, Fundy continues following the sandstone path while typing in chat, asking if anyone was actually there. He gets confused by the path for a moment, wanting to go to the ominous building, before realizing that the path does connect to the building, it just swerves a little to the left.

It is notable that when Fundy cried out for help, he doesn’t call for a name in specific- he calls out for ANYONE. The fact that he is calling out for “anyone” could denote that he doesn’t have any close friends or family members he would want to specifically call out for.

Continuing on, Fundy follows the path to the building, still very immensely confused about where he is. Opening the door, he sees that the inside descends into an underground room with its flooring made out of chiseled quartz blocks. Fundy gets scared at first, immediately closing the door, looking back in, and going back out once more.

Fundy denotes that there is absolutely nothing out here as he walks around the building. He then gains the courage to descend the staircase, wondering what it is, and at the bottom, there are a lot of misplaced sandstone blocks with small lights illuminating at certain corners. The path leads to the left, showing 10 pieces of red carpet on the floor, and 8 pieces of yellow carpet on the table. He approaches the wooden table before looking to his right, spotting a skull on the floor next to a piece of redstone, which I believe is meant to resemble blood.

I don’t think we really need to research a skull to check what it might represent, but my theory so far as to what the skulls mean in each building would be that it’s meant to represent Fundy losing a canon life. I don’t know if this was intentional, but the corner room where the skull is somewhat reminds me of the Final Control Room with the redstone in the middle representing the button. That is, after all, where Fundy lost his first canon life.

One of the theories I subscribe to is that the skulls in these buildings are meant to foreshadow Fundy’s death before he ever reaches it. Earlier in the day, we saw Fundy pass by the Camarvan with a younger Fundy which could possibly imply that they haven’t gotten to Eret’s betrayal yet, but the skull creeping up at the corner could represent that it is, in fact, coming. How this ties in to the entire future predicting thing, I will explain later, but for now, keep an eye out on the skulls.

Terrified of the skull, Fundy opens the chest and hesitantly picks up the book and quill inside of it. He opens it and is introduced to another Fundy writing to himself. Other Fundy claims that they’re not exactly the same person, but this Fundy is a part of the real Fundy. Other Fundy claims that Fundy cannot trust this place as it is not real, then begins saying that Fundy himself is not real repeatedly. Fundy’s heart rate suddenly increases when he sees the words “wake up” appear slowly in the book, and after page 34 is shown, Fundy wakes up to a new day in the dream world.

First thing to denote is that the book has 87 pages, and 87, according to affinitynumerology.com means as follows:

“The numerology number 87 is a number of family, organization, and prosperity.

It's also a number of harmony and idealism, the ideal generally related to a harmonious and prosperous family relationship.

87 has parental instincts. It assumes responsibility for the welfare of others it considers to be family.”

The explanation implies that Fundy longs for family and cares deeply for those who he considers as his family. As much as he hated Wilbur after he died, Fundy still continuously expressed how much he needed Wilbur to be there. He is absolutely attached to anyone who poses as a possible family member, especially to those who he views as parents or guardians. Even outside of Wilbur, he is still practically attached to Phil, even if Phil refuses to consider Fundy as family. Fundy also got immensely angered by Eret when she didn’t show up to sign his adoption papers. I’d even say his attachment to family would even reach people like Sally and Schlatt. Fundy has a tendency of casually talking about Sally, and whenever a character talks about eating salmon, Fundy becomes deeply offended. For Schlatt, Fundy kept Schlatt’s netherite sword after he died, considering it to be an “heirloom”, something that only gets passed down onto different generations of the same family. Fundy is incredibly attached to the sword, and whenever he loses it, he’s absolutely desperate to get it back. As much as Fundy gets abandoned, he still deeply appreciates a lot of his family.

87 is also very reminiscent of one of the books in the Inbetween. A lot of the phrasing in the books are actually quite similar to the Inbetween, but we aren’t sure if Fundy and the Inbetween are directly affecting each other or if these places merely work in similar ways. The main similarity between Fundy and the Inbetween is that it involves something related to time travelling, so the similarities could be pointing towards that rather than imply that Fundy is directly affecting the Inbetween all together.

Secondly, the book stops at Page 34. The website angelnumbers.org express the following:

"Most likely you are leaving your projects unfinished because of fear for their destiny after you finish them.

Will they be rejected or accepted by others?

Because you would rather not find out that and possibly have your ego hurt, you consciously or subconsciously sabotage your work and leave things unfinished.

When this number starts appearing in your life frequently, it is a reminder to acknowledge you have a problem and start dealing with it.”

This is very reminiscent of the paragraph I made earlier discussing Fundy’s relationship with Ranboo and Niki- and this could honestly apply to any other relationships Fundy has as well. Besides Fundy’s relationships, this explanation could apply to Fundy’s hesitance of finding out the truth of his mind. Earlier on in the streams, Fundy is immensely confused about the dream, not wanting to discover its truths at all. This eventually changes on the third day, but we’ll discuss that in a bit.

Another thing I’d like to discuss would be the identity of the book authors and why they wrote the books the way they did. I’ll explain about this more in-depth later, but I do believe that another Fundy is, indeed, writing these books. As this was set in Fundy’s mind, it’s quite impossible for anyone who isn’t Fundy to be meddling with the books. What we can denote, though, is the reason as to why these books were created in the first place. The book itself seems to be harmless at first, quite inviting towards Fundy in the first few pages, but once it had to introduce what this world is, it seemed to hesitate. There were a couple of disjointed pages, as well as blank pages, before it began claiming the world wasn’t real, and that Fundy wasn’t real. It turned a complete 180, which seemed to be very odd to me. In past events of the Dream SMP, derealizing statements like this tend to be tricks of the mind, but these statements seem to be intentionally put there by those who wrote the book, especially since later on, we see another book completely give up on saying these triggering statements, saying that “It’s not going to work.” (32:05).

What this implies is that whoever placed these statements are attempting to scare Fundy in some way, possibly heightening his insecurities and terror so that he can be truly terrified of the place. The constant statements of “you are not real” may not only refer to the Other Fundy trying to make Fundy spiral downwards in derealization, but it might actually represent how neglected Fundy feels to the point of feeling invisible, to the point of feeling that he “isn’t real”. But why is this Other Fundy trying to scare Fundy, and who, specifically, is the person behind the writings, you might ask? This question will be answered later on when we go more in-depth with the other books, as the bigger picture is very much needed instead of explaining it all by the first book.

v. SECOND DAY

Fundy wakes up in his base once more, evidently confused. We don’t really know why he wakes up in his base, and why the world changes every time he wakes up, but let’s just say this is all part of his dream to make sense out of it. This time, he sounds more broken, and definitely more unhinged. He calls out for any other member in the chat, telling them that whatever they’re doing is not funny. This is the first we see of Fundy believing that the others may actually just have been pulling a prank on him. He opens his chests frantically before venturing outside once more. He claims that he doesn’t believe the book, saying that this dream sequence feels pretty real to him.

This time, Fundy puts a bigger emphasis on asking why he is alone, and why nobody seems to be here with him. Fundy seems to be more shaken up by the idea that he’s alone over the idea that he does not know anything about where he is at all. He approaches the van, and when he zooms in, he sees that Wilbur’s nametag disappeared.

Transcript of this following scene:

“I knew you were there. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no- you can’t fool me! No, I knew you were there Wil. You were there, right there! Where did you go? Are you being- he’s being funny. This is funny! This is great. Aw, this is amazing- it’s just a prank! It’s April Fools soon- that’s why! Oh, I’m just being pranked… right?”

Now, this was… sad. This is one of the other statements that could have a double meaning. Fundy insisting that Wilbur is supposed to be there could not only be him comparing this day to the previous, but it could also imply his true feelings towards Wilbur, especially since he’s disappeared for a good portion of Fundy’s life. Fundy believes Wilbur is supposed to be there for him, but the reality is that he wasn’t. Instead of facing reality, Fundy concludes that all of this was a harmless joke instead of believing that Wilbur might have possibly left him.

Fundy attempts to enter the van once more, but his attempt doesn’t work. He then follows the path on the side directing to the ominous building only for him to realize that it has gotten closer.

The building getting closer to the main base actually has a lot of symbolism behind it. The building itself stores a lot of secrets, especially when it comes to the truths about this world and the different insecurities Fundy has repressed. Those writing the books have laid out all these secrets in every single book found in this building. The fact that it’s underground is meant to represent that these secrets are meant to be hidden in the depths of Fundy’s mind, but the fact that the building is getting closer to the main base makes it feel like 1.) the stored secrets about this world that Fundy may have forgotten about might finally seep into his consciousness, making him aware of them next time he wakes up, and 2.) the insecurities Fundy repressed deep down are seeping out more and more as it reaches the main core. Once it’s there, Fundy won’t be able to reject the truth about his abandonment issues any longer.

Fundy nears the building, still quite nervous. He opens the door, and the layout of the inside seems to be slightly similar to the previous day, but there are small details here and there that are different. Instead of 10 red carpets, there are 6, and instead of 8 yellow carpets, there are 6. Additionally, the skull seems to be closer, this time directly next to the table.

While the carpets were quite subtle, I do think it symbolizes a certain decrease of something. Red symbolizes the color for passion and love, while yellow is meant to represent happiness and positivity. Earlier, we saw that Wilbur disappeared from the Carmarvan, so the decrease of rugs for each color could represent Fundy’s love and happiness decreasing.

For the skull itself, I don’t know if I’m right, but this is what I infer from it: On the first day, we saw that Wilbur was still standing next to Fundy in the Camarvan as the first skull underground was still very far away. On the second day, when Wilbur was gone, the skull got closer, standing next to the table instead of it being far away. I theorize that if the skull is closer, then a canon death has already occurred in the time period the day wants to present. The first day presents a time where Wilbur was still taking care of Fundy, so Eret’s betrayal may not have happened yet, hence why the skull merely stayed hidden at the corner. On the second day, Wilbur has actively left Fundy, similar to the period after L’Manberg’s independence when Fundy had to partake in the Pet Wars alone. During that era, the betrayal has already happened, which is why I believe the skull is much closer this time.

Continuing on, Fundy opens the book and begins reading. From this point onwards, I do want to go more in depth with each of the books, so I’ll put transcripts here and there with my thoughts added onto it after each transcript.

“Hi me!

Welcome back!

Yeahh, second time here? or third?

not entirely sure”

So, this is confirmation that this might not be the first time Fundy’s having dreams like this. A good question to ask is if the book was written a long time ago and has presented itself the same way it does right now, or if this book was written recently. I don’t think the stream gave a definitive answer, but it is something to keep in mind.

“Listen to me Fundy

and you should trust me because,

well you know why

There are two things you can do right now

Walk back to your base, jump in bed, fall asleep, and you will wake up as if nothing ever happened

Or you can keep reading…

And I will tell you what I know”

The book pauses for a bit then continues saying “You are not real” ten times, “You dont want to know the truth” fifteen times, and spams “WAKE UP” until the 38th page, a number we analyzed earlier because of the 38 baked potatoes.

For the book itself, whoever is writing the book seems to be a bit hesitant when writing. It doesn’t seem to want to explain what this place truly is to Fundy, and as much as it clarifies that they are, indeed, Fundy, they never expound on how they were able to write these books and why Fundy should trust him. Other Fundy saying “you should trust me because, well you know why” is actually quite ominous, and I can only think of two reasons as to why they would say it: 1.) Other Fundy is implying that Fundy can trust him because he is, in fact, the same person, or 2.) Other Fundy is hinting that Fundy trusts too easily as seen with the people Fundy trusted in the real world.

Additionally, the Other Fundy seems to emphasize on the fact that they WANT Fundy to go to sleep and wake up in the overworld. They phrase it so that sleeping once more is the more logical option, while they basically scare Fundy with the other option, evident by his quickened heartbeat. The Other Fundy seems to know about the intricacies of this dream and its world, but seems to be very hesitant to tell Fundy about it. The continuous threats imply that the Other Fundy doesn’t want Fundy to know the truth at all.

Basically, this Other Fundy knows something, something our Fundy doesn’t know about, and wants to emphasize that it is something horrific. He will do whatever he can do so that he can stop Fundy from knowing the truth, even if it means he has to scare Fundy.

Additionally, to me, it feels like “WAKE UP” could possibly have two meanings. If the underground structure is meant to represent things that Fundy constantly represses to the back of his mind, not only would the secrets of his dream reside there, but his own repressed insecurities may reside there as well. The way Fundy treats the truth about his dreams is actually quite similar with the way he treats his insecurities- he tends to reject its existence and pretend that everything is normal. This dream isn’t just a dream, it’s an exploration of Fundy’s mind, and telling Fundy to “WAKE UP” doesn’t just refer to not knowing the truths about the dream, but it could also refer to Fundy not knowing the truths about his own insecurities hidden deep in the depths of his mind.

vi. THIRD DAY

Fundy wakes up, breathing heavily. He paces around his room before opening the door frantically, seeing that he is still stuck in a desert. He begins to laugh, repetitively telling himself that all of this is a “joke”. He continues questioning why he’s still in this dream, and when he opens the door, he sees the ominous structure observably closer to the base. He claims that he’s actually stressing out, and Fundy goes on a tangent about this dream and reveals a bit about his insecurities:

“They’re toying with me, they’re toying with me. They’re actually- everyone is toying with me- they are ALWAYS TOYING WITH ME. Everyone is! I’m always being played with. Why? Why always me- no! Why does it always have to be me? Every single time. I don’t wanna- (sigh). I don’t wanna keep dealing with this- I just wanna- no- do I just… Do I just… Do I just go up here and listen to- wai- okay. The book said I have two options: I can wait here until it’s night time. Wait until the sun sets and I can go to sleep, and when I go to sleep and wake up, none of this is real. None of this is gonna- it’s gonna disappear. None of this is real, none of this is real, none… It’s not real, it’s not real, I am currently not real, this is no- how is this possible? How is this- wha- how did- how… None of this is real. I am not real. All I have to do is wait for midnight and just sleep, and all of this would end, right? All I have to do is… wait until night time and then… it’s all gonna be over, it’s all gonna be done.

I just gotta sleep, and then, it’s gonna disappear. And then everyone is gonna appear out of a bush and they’re gonna be ‘Surprise!’ and I’m gonna be like, ‘You guys! You’re always pranking me… you’ve always been there for me (sniffs). Every single time… except sometimes… when I needed you the most. I just go to bed… I just go to bed, and then I wake up, and none of this ever happened. And we’re gonna go back to my old life where I have fun and join parties and join groups and only see them disappear in front of my eyes as I start to get attached to them. Y-yeah, that’s- that’s- that’s the choice I’m making. Go back to that... (sigh). Just… or you know…”

LOTS to unpack here, and I’ll go one by one explaining certain aspects of this because it’s not just something that showcases Fundy’s insecurities.

Firstly, interesting how Fundy believed that the book was toying with him like how a lot of other people do. That’s what makes him afraid of the book- the feeling of being pushed around. The book is actively trying to use Fundy’s insecurities against him in order to make him more and more afraid of the truth. This is interesting because Fundy is known to be ignorant towards his actual issues (just look at his monologue), but the Other Fundy seems to be acutely aware of them. I will explain why he is aware of them later on.

Secondly, this is the most observable point, Fundy seems to be aware that he is quite frankly, alone, but tends to ignore it. He copes with his abandonment issues by treating his abandonment like a joke. He believes that every single person who’s left him did it as a prank. Even if he laughs at this idea, he is also evidently hurt by it. It hits even harder when you realize that Fundy is quite the dependent character, often sucking up to any person who gives him recognition. If Fundy depends on others to dictate his self-worth, how do you think he thinks of himself right now when he literally has nobody?

Putting emphasis on Fundy’s loneliness is going to be interesting because I do think some characters in future arcs are going to exploit that. If Quackity is going to use and manipulate Fundy the same way Sam does, then there would be no doubt that he will use Fundy’s loneliness against him. Even if it’s not Quackity who approaches Fundy first- even Bad, Sam, Dream, anyone, really, could use Fundy’s loneliness against him, which will make for an interesting plot point.

Lastly, not a lot of people spotted this, but this monologue also gives us insight as to why Fundy continued looking for the truth about his dreams instead of staying in his base and waiting for night. When talking about what to look forward to once he wakes up, he talks about how much “fun” he is going to have. Slowly, you see his denial start to dwindle as he finally admits that people leave him just as he gets attached to them. As much as Fundy wanted to wake up from this horrific dream, he realizes that, once he wakes up, he has nothing to look forward to either. That’s why he hesitates when he says “Yeah, that’s the choice I’m making,” because he realizes waking up isn’t as ideal as it seems. This is why Fundy immediately goes outside afterwards with no hesitation- Fundy has nothing left to lose, hence why he chooses to venture forth. Fundy is driven to do things because he feels like his life is purposeless anyway.

Fundy then begins to head outside quietly, zooming into the ominous building while walking right towards it. He then detours for a moment, walking towards the right of the building, and approaches a giant crater filled with obsidian and blackstone.

The explosion could symbolize two things:

Any of the L’Manberg explosions. With the obsidian and blackstone combination, my guess is that this is either the first Doomsday event (L’Manbergian War of Independence) because of L’Manberg’s walls, or the November 16th War because of Schlatt’s Podium. Why the big amount of blackstone and obsidian? Well, I’m not so sure when it comes to L’Manberg as its walls didn’t have obsidian, but for the November 16th war, I do think that the abundance of blackstone and obsidian is meant to represent how Fundy is reducing the November 16th war to Schlatt’s Podium. This can be alarming as he was the one who made Schlatt’s Podium, so reducing the war to that one building might symbolize that he blames himself for the war.

Another theory, which is the theory I subscribe to more, is that this is actually depicting an event in the future that we haven’t seen yet. Namely, the prison. If you zoom in on the explosion, the block pattern is quite reminiscent of the block pattern present in the prison.

While I’ll mostly discuss Fundy’s future predicting powers later, I do think that there’s a possibility that Fundy saw a vision of the future, unlike the past two days where he saw visions of the past. The prison might possibly be nuked in the future.

Fundy then proceeds to walk back towards the building, repetitively saying “no”. He claims he needs to find out, sounding more determined than before. For this, even if the explosion could represent many things, I do think Fundy is generally reminded of the explosions he had to witness throughout the history of the Dream SMP. Perhaps he believes that finding out the truth could prevent more explosions from occurring, perhaps he figured out that this was the prison and he needed to know why it exploded, perhaps him walking away from something that’s reminiscent of real life represents his choice of wanting to learn more about his dreams rather than sticking to anything similar to real life.

Moving on, Fundy enters the building, saying he wants to know what’s going on. The underground room seems to have changed a bit, as the chiseled quartz floors changed into quartz bricks. The place also seems to be littered with end stone blocks and bricks. The place is much darker as well, and the carpets on the floor and table seem to be gone entirely. Two skulls can be observed near the table.

My brain actually can’t reason as to why the end blocks were there, or why the quartz blocks changed. My guess is that the end stones will eventually connect to a future plot point relating to the End, but again, I’m not sure. The carpets being gone could represent that the love and happiness (red and yellow) that Fundy had disappeared completely. The dishevelled state of the room could represent that the secrets being held inside this underground room are finally breaking free as its confines tear down more and more.

Now the skulls- if we go by the theory I presented earlier, then the skulls are meant to represent canon deaths. If the skull was tucked into the corner, then that means death is to come, but if it’s near the table, then I believe the canon death already occurred. If two skulls are next to the table, then it could imply that whatever time period the day is set in should be around the time Fundy loses a second canon death, which hasn’t occurred yet. Again, this is all speculation, so I might be overthinking, but if the explosion is meant to represent the prison getting nuked, then there’s a possibility Fundy would lose a canon life before the prison gets destroyed.

Now, onto the juicy bit: the book. The book reads as follows:

“Hi. again.

...Why are we so persistent

...Why are we so stubborn

...You have been here before, but you keep coming back

...Why?

WHY???

You dont want to know the truth

It will hurt you

I dont want to be hurt again

YOU dont want to be hurt again

I KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

PLEASE JUST LEAVE

GO TO BED

FALL ASLEEP

ENJOY YOUR LIFE

ENJOY THE FUN THINGS

THE TRUTH ISNT WHAT YOU WANT

PLEASE

STOP THIS

STOP!!!”

The book tries scaring Fundy by spamming “WAKE UP” across multiple pages.

“It’s not going to work, huh..

Listen to me Fundy…

Your mind is not safe…

You are not imagining this…

This place might not be real…

But he is.

Spare yourself.

I need you to listen carefully.

Do not join him.

Whatever he asks of you.

Do NOT join him.

his plans aren’t as nice as they sound.

his intentions aren’t what you think they are.

he will use you

he will destroy you

everything you ever loved

everyone you ever cared about

do not join him.”

Before I explain this book, I think it’s best to also note down what was said in the next book as well so I can better explain what’s going on.

“note to self

hello

I just wrote this book to remember who I am

To remember what is happening

All the books I just found are indeed written by me

Listen to yourself

You suffer from a very odd illness

You suffer from a form of insomnia, within your own dreams.

Now the effects of this aren’t really known, and even I don’t fully know what is going on.

but let me tell you

somehow, this world, these actions and events, are linked to reality.

things that happen in these so-called “dreams”, tend to leak into the real world

they will actually happen.

you might wonder how exactly this is a bad thing.

the ability to predict certain events from happening, sounds pretty cool.”

Fundy then stops reading the book, seemingly overwhelmed by the influx of information. Analysis time, boys, time to unpack what this all means.

Firstly, I believe that this dream has happened before. Multiple times, actually. If certain “events” in the dream are meant to predict the future, then the moments involving the Camarvan on the first two days could imply that Fundy has seen this place before during the L’Manberg era where he could’ve predicted Eret’s betrayal and the loss of his father. If we think about it, the books could honestly be given to Fundy at any time period and it would work. Look at the entire section of the book describing someone who Fundy can’t trust- this “him” person could honestly be… anyone who abandoned Fundy? If the book hints at someone who might possibly hurt and use Fundy, then Eret, Wilbur, Schlatt, and Dream could also be considered. These people were nice to Fundy at first before betraying him one way or another. There is a possibility that this dream has warned Fundy about these people in the past, only for Fundy to forget about the dream. What about this time though, who is this “him” that’s going to betray Fundy during this time period? Well, the easy answer would be Quackity, but Bad could be a possibility as well. With the hint towards Quackity at the end, I do believe that Quackity would be the main suspect, but it’s also good to keep an open mind as we don’t know much of who Fundy’s involved with in Season 3.

Now, why would Fundy be able to forget about the dreams, though? I do think that whoever is responsible for writing the books are doing their best to prevent Fundy from uncovering the truth. Who do I think are the book authors? Well, I don’t think they were lying when they said that they were Fundy. I believe that, just like the Dream voice in Ranboo’s head, the Fundy that writes books would be some sort of conscience or subconscious in Fundy’s mind. This part of the mind holds certain memories repressed by Fundy, as well as some of the insecurities he chooses to ignore. They are aware of all of Fundy’s past visits of this dream, and they know the dangers of it, which is why they want Fundy to not uncover the truth.

The signed book claims that whatever Fundy sees in the dream will seep out into reality. Knowing this, I believe Fundy’s subconscious is trying to prevent Fundy from seeking out the truth to prevent these future visions from happening in real life; this especially applies to events that involve Fundy possibly being hurt. There is a possibility that this Fundy has seen past Fundy’s discover events like the Camarvan and the loss of Wilbur occur in dreams way past before it occurred in real life, so they feel afraid that our Fundy would uncover more and more truths that would become reality. While we don’t know if Other Fundy’s beliefs on future predicting is true, this gives us a better understanding of why they want Fundy to go to bed and wake up. (Additionally, the Other Fundy has placed emphasis on saying that the truth may hurt Fundy, so there is a possibility that these future events might involve something that heightens Fundy’s insecurities more. That’s why this Fundy seems to be so aware of Fundy’s insecurities- they have witnessed Fundy’s insecurities being used against him in certain visions.)

For the memory thing, so far, I believe a part of Fundy’s mind is actively suppressing all the memories Fundy has of his dreams. Fundy already represses a lot of his insecurities, so using Fundy’s insecurities against him might actually enable them to keep Fundy’s memories about the dream locked in the corners of his mind. The place where the book is kept in is underground, after all, but we do have to keep in mind that the building is getting closer and closer to Fundy’s main base. This could symbolize that Fundy will remember his dreams more once he wakes up.

So basically, so far, Fundy has dreamt this dream multiple times in the past, and during each dream, he witnesses an event in the future that could possibly happen in real life. Fundy’s subconscious, or possibly past versions of Fundy, are trying to warn future Fundy’s to not uncover too many truths about the dream as they believe this could possibly manifest terrible events to happen in real life. To get Fundy to go back to bed, they try scaring Fundy, using his insecurities against him, only this time, Fundy is a bit more disobedient because, again, he feels like he has nothing left to lose.

Another theory I have which I’m not 100% sure about is that this Other Fundy, as much as it has good intentions, may have committed a mistake when they tried to get Fundy to bed by using his insecurities. If anything in the dream may happen in real life, them heightening Fundy’s insecurities might pass over to the real world as well. While scaring Fundy could prevent him from uncovering the truth, it might’ve also been a double-edged sword as Fundy is more aware of his insecurities more than ever.

Continuing on, Fundy decided to leave the building, seeing that it’s night time. He sounds relieved knowing that he can sleep and that he can wake up from this dream. He celebrates for a moment, throwing the book away, but then he hesitates, saying he wants to know the truth. He picks the book up again but doesn’t read it immediately, claiming that he could just sleep instead of knowing the truth.

Fundy seems to revel in the idea of waking up for a bit until he mentions how much of a “blast” he can have with everyone once he wakes up. After mentioning this, he immediately picks up the book with no hesitation. This is the second time Fundy is shown to be motivated in finding the truth about his dreams because of him realizing how unfun the real world is. Again, Fundy is seen to be motivated by the fact that he has nothing left to lose, and as much as he is scared of this dream, he seems to prefer finding this world’s truth over going back into the real world where he’s practically alone.

Moving on, the book continues:

“however…

while this might be the case of dreams…

this is also the case for nightmares…

this is your last warning Fundy

please… for the both of us…

just wake up”

This part of the book simply affirms all I’ve theorized about earlier. The Other Fundy hints that some events that Fundy might witness in his dream would be detrimental to Fundy, which is why he doesn’t want Fundy to continue exploring. He knows that Fundy will possibly manifest an event that will ruin him in real life, so he wants Fundy to sleep instead of accidentally manifesting his demise.

vii. FOURTH DAY

Fundy then wakes up once more, complaining that this dream never ends. He goes outside, seeing a black, hooded figure slowly turn around and chase him. With a quickened heartbeat, he runs up his stairs to sleep in a black bed placed on the roof. Fundy screams as we see the hooded figure approach, and the screen fades to black. A white smiley face reminiscent of the one on Quackity’s skin appears on the screen as casino slots sound effects play in the background.

Now, what do I make of this? Well, firstly, we gotta point out that his bed at the end looked EERILY similar to a gravestone. A lot of websites claim that sleeping in a gravestone or seeing a gravestone could indicate change, especially when it comes to overcoming one’s sadness or problems. In a literal sense, we can think of it as something foreshadowing a future canon death, especially if we think that the person chasing Fundy is the grim reaper.

Speaking of that person, I do have a couple of explanations as to who this person is:

The person is death themselves, the grim reaper. This is the common conclusion everyone believes in, especially when we consider this “him” person possibly hurting Fundy, and that second skull in the underground room. Quackity is the main culprit for now, especially with that smiley face in the end, but there could be other possibilities! Like, what if someone takes Fundy’s canon life before he joins Quackity, which is why the smiley face only popped up after Fundy’s dream death? Mayhaps someone affiliated with Quackity might be doing the dirty work for him, so Bad, Sam, Dream, and anyone, really, could be responsible for Fundy’s future canon death. Moreover, the fact that this death occurs affirms the beliefs of the Other Fundy. The Other Fundy merely wants Fundy to be safe from possibly manifesting his demise in real life, but Fundy’s curiosity got the best of him, and in the next sequence, he was killed, proving that the Other Fundy was right in saying that Fundy should’ve just slept.

A theory I made up which I’m not 100% sure of is that this figure is actually Fundy’s subconscious trying to get him to sleep. When Fundy was being chased, we heard a quickened heartbeat, and where was the only other time we heard that? When Fundy was reading the “WAKE UP” and “you’re not real” messages from those books. We can view this as the Other Fundy’s attempt in trying to get Fundy to actually sleep by using another scare tactic against Fundy. And well… it did work! Because Fundy was afraid of this figure, Fundy went to sleep. There is also a possibility that this occurrence is what makes Fundy forget about the dream because his subconscious got a hold of Fundy and forcibly made him forget, but I’m not 100% sure about that one yet.

Lastly, the face! That should already allude to Fundy possibly joining Quackity’s lore, and with the “38 potatoes” symbolizing business opportunities, I expect Fundy to be joining Las Nevadas as a possible employee. Quackity does, in fact, prey on people who are insecure, and can easily get them to do whatever he wants because of his words. If he can get Sam to give him the tools needed to torture Dream, Quackity might exploit Fundy’s loneliness into making him do whatever Quackity wants from him.

Another face that this could possibly connect to is the face in the Egg lair! While I’m leaning more towards Quackity because of the casino sounds, I do wanna say that the Egg and the Eggpire could possibly be connected as well, especially when the Egg could provide Fundy anything he wants. Just like how Quackity could prey on Fundy’s insecurities, the Egg preys on those who feel like they’re missing something, so as much as Fundy could be manipulated by Quackity, he could also be manipulated by the Egg. Additionally, business opportunities could apply to the Eggpire as well as they’ve contacted Purpled in the past to assassinate Puffy, so who’s to say they won’t try adding Fundy to the Eggpire?

TLDR; This entire stream showcased both Fundy’s insecurities and Fundy’s future predicting powers and how this “Other Fundy”, aka his subconscious, wants him to repress them because they believe that if Fundy uncovers the secrets of his dream more, then Fundy would accidentally manifest his demise in real life. Additionally, Fundy is very lonely, making him vulnerable of being used in the future because he is desperate to get any type of recognition from anybody. In summary, be afraid of Fundy’s future lore streams, be very afraid.

viii. ADDITIONAL NOTES

Even when I finish this, there’s a lot of questions to ask about this stream that I want you to keep in mind:

How many times has Fundy encountered this before?

How does Fundy forget all the information he got from the dreams?

How does Fundy write to himself?

Why is there so many details connected to Karl, and what does it have to do with time travelling?

Why does Fundy return to his bed every time his heartbeat quickens when reading a book?

Was the first scene part of the dream or not?

Could the underground room’s structure actually mean something?

And there’s probably more, but just saying, keep an open mind about this entire stream because there’s definitely a lot more to uncover.

I want to reiterate: I am not the Messiah, so don’t take my word as the truth and the absolute truth. I’d love to hear your thoughts about Fundy’s stream as a lot of it could be up for speculation! The entire thing is filled to the brim with symbolisms, so there could be a lot of interpretations to consider. If you enjoyed this, feel free to like and retweet because I worked my ASS off with this one.

Special thanks to the following:

Fundy and any of the Dream SMP members because that stream was INCREDIBLE. Go give them your love and support.

kingjem for always being there whenever I want to discuss any ideas I have about the Dream SMP. One of the smartest bitches I know, go follow them.

To all my betas who reviewed this document since I have a TON of grammar mistakes (thanks English): prismartist, bootsforthebootsgod, Finni_june (twt), ender-hyperfocuses-on-things, and Dngertosociety2 (twt)

And to all of you who like this post and would share it to other people! All support is appreciated. :D

#fundy #dream smp #mcyt #long post

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scarecr0ws · 2 years

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Hey so I’ve posted my first fanfic in a decade please check it out

<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/40168698">What A Surprise!</a> (5386 words) by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarecr0ws">scarecr0ws</a> Chapters: 3/3 Fandom: <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Batman%20-%20All%20Media%20Types">Batman - All Media Types</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Batman%20(Comics)">Batman (Comics)</a> Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Jonathan Crane/Edward Nygma, Jonathan Crane/Bruce Wayne, Jonathan Crane/Jervis Tetch, Jonathan Crane/Hugo Strange, Bane/Jonathan Crane, Jonathan Crane / Waylon Jones, Jonathan Crane / Killer Croc, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel, Dusan al Ghul / Bane Characters: Jonathan Crane, Edward Nygma, Bruce Wayne, Jervis Tetch, Hugo Strange, Harleen Quinzel, Pamela Isley, Waylon Jones, Bane (DCU), Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Mary Keeny, Karen Keeny Additional Tags: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, religious trauma, Past Child Abuse, Flashbacks, Trans Male Character, Trans Jonathan Crane, Unplanned Pregnancy, Pregnancy, Discussion of Abortion, Past Abuse, Miscarriage, Mentions of Cancer, Difficult Pregnancy, Family, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Drug Addiction, mentally ill characters are mentally ill, Canon-Typical Violence, but the canon does not matter, vaguely au because I refuse to pick a canon, Gender Dysphoria, Child Neglect Summary: Jonathan Cranes gets an unexpected surprise in the form of a pregnancy. Whose other father? How can a villain cope with the potentiality of parenthood?================================================Rated E as a precaution as it deals with a lot of past abuse and other difficult themes, there will be trigger warnings at the start of each chapter and I'm happy to give specific warning out if you dm. My first pic in over a decade so am not sure how to rate things.

#scriddler #scarebat

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polyamoryinfandoms · 4 years

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Monthly Fic Roundup!

Hey gang! I’m posting the fics that were recommended on our last surveymonkey poll; thanks for everyone who recommended fics. Please note I did not get to read every fic on here and depended on your responses and the AO3 tags to mark for any triggers or story notes, so please read with caution if you’re worried about any content warnings!

If you want to recommend more fics, I’ll be posting another roundup poll later in the day today!

Under the cut are 32 fics from:

Agents of Shield (1)

Bill & Ted (1)

Castlevania (1)

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (1)

DCU (2)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (4)

Game of Thrones (1)

Harry Potter (1)

Leverage (1)

Mission Impossible (1 -- series)

Sanders Sides (1-- series)

Sense8 (1)

Sherlock (1-- series)

Star Wars (1)

Stranger Things (8)

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1)

The Untamed/CQL/MDZS (2)

Teen Wolf (2)

White Collar (1)

Agents of Shield:

is it chill that you’re in my head? by lazyfish

Pairing: Lance Hunter/Bobbi Morse/Alphonso Mackenzie

TW/TAGS: PTSD, Referenced Torture

Summary: It doesn't take long for Mack to realize he's in love with Bobbi and Hunter and has been for a while. Other realizations take slightly longer.

Bill and Ted (movie):

Our Home, Our Family, Our Love by CaptainWeasley

Pairing: Bill/Ted/Elizabeth/Joanna

TW/TAGS: slurs, implied/referenced child abuse, internalized homophobia, self harm

Summary: A series of firsts in Ted's life, as he slowly comes to terms with his sexuality and learns how to handle being in love with both his wife and his best friend. When Billie and Thea come out as trans, each in her own way, he does everything he can to help them be who they are.

Castlevania:

Deliverance by cricketsong1985

Pairing: Trevor Belmont/Sypha Belnades/Alucard

TW/Tags: Blood kink, explicit sexual content, gore, trauma, angst

Summary: Adrian is beginning to think that Wallachia will be a smoking pile of ash long before he, Trevor, and Sypha can stop Dracula’s war on humanity. They’ve been chasing the castle for months, but each time they get close, it vanishes. Traveling with such genuine and trustworthy allies has been unexpectedly pleasant; Adrian doesn’t mind that Trevor and Sypha are involved with each other, but he is taken entirely by surprise when they open their relationship to him one evening. Hopelessly in over his head, his heart keeps urging him forward, even when he’s forced to confront the darkest aspects of his nature. Adrian must learn to swallow his pride and let himself be vulnerable if he wants a chance at happiness. Unfortunately, there isn’t much time for looking within when the world is drenched in blood and magic, and the path to victory may destroy him completely.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina:

We will be judged by the courage of our hearts by MagicClem

Pairing: Harvey Kinkle/Sabrina Spellman/Nicholas Scratch

TW/TAGS: mention of an abusive parent

Summary: It's been a month since the 13 almost destroyed Greendale. Now a full Witch, Sabrina tries to move on, with the help of one Nicholas Scratch.But one night, Harvey arrives at the Spellman's house and everything becomes complicated.

DCU:

not for the faint of heart by pasdecoeur

Pairing: Hal Jordan/Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent

TW/TAGS: Explicit Sexual Content

Summary: Clark opens a door that was meant to stay closed. Things spiral. or, What Not To Do When You’ve Fallen in Love with Batman: A Guide by Hal Jordan & Clark Kent.

All Good Things Come in Threes (Legends of Tomorrow) by IncendiaGlacies

Pairing: Gideon/Rip Hunter/Miranda Coburn

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting

Summary: “Two is a couple, three is a crowd,” Gideon stated. In which Gideon navigates her polyamorous relationship with Rip and Miranda. Domestic slice of life goodness.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off:

Pairing for all of these are Pairing: Cameron/Ferris/Sloane and are written by @fbdo1986

it’s enough to be whiplash

TW: death mention (no character death), drowning

A/N: To put it plainly, I took a few tricks from John Hughes’s earlier scripts of the film, which were more surreal and up-front with discussing death and end of the world scenarios. It was inspired by a concept that I couldn’t seem to shake after I thought of it: what if the pool scene was just a bit more high stakes?

all the things I never told you

Summary: It’s Sloane, Ferris, and Cameron’s first afternoon alone at the Bueller residence in months. The busy twenty-four year olds who’ve struggled to find time together as their lives unfold in front of them try to think of what to do for the day when Cameron decides to let them in on what he’s been keeping from them.

bye bye love

TW: Death mention (none of the main characters)

Summary: A hopefully angsty number that details Sloane’s, Cameron’s, and Ferris’s journey through heartbreak and loss after their Sophomore year in college. The title is named after a song by The Cars by the same name!

firestarter

Prompt #5: Where it doesn’t hurt with the OT3

Game of Thrones:

Constellatory by blueandbulae

Pairing: Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell/Robb Stark (polycule, NO incest)

TW: Some canon typical violence

Summary: It’s strange and messy and maybe nobody else will ever understand them but it works. It’s theirs, and theirs alone, and nobody can take that from them.Or: Robb and Theon storm King's Landing, rescue the princesses, and save the kingdom. Then comes the hard part.

Harry Potter:

Unconventional by silver_fish

Pairing: Harry Potter/Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger

Summary: A few years, now, have passed since Hedwig’s death, and Hermione thinks it’s time Harry got a new pet. What sort of pet, though, neither she nor Ron know. Not until Harry himself offers her the perfect solution, that is.

Leverage:

for better or worse (we change together) by idkimoutofideas

Pairing: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer

TW/TAGS: Canon typical violence

Summary: The moment Parker saw the stranger standing by the elevator, a dozen alarm bells went off in her head. She froze, and Hardison nearly walked into her as he entered behind her. It took her a moment to realize that while half of the alarm bells were telling her to get the fuck out of there, the other half were telling her to look closer. Or, Eliot Spencer is a recent war veteran who just moved to Portland in an attempt to lead a calmer lifestyle. He ends up with some weird neighbors, but it's Portland, everyone's a little weird.

Mission Impossible:

Polyamorous Spies (series of 2 fics) by MagicClem

Pairing: Benji Dunn/Ethan Hunt/Ilsa Faust

TW/TAGS: Blood & injuries (2nd fic)

Sander’s Sides:

Love and Other Fairytales by SoDoRoses (Fairychess)

Pairing: LAMP/CALM (Logan, Roman, Virgil, Patton)

TW: violence, major character death, no NSFW in the main fic but there is a side series with NSFW, animal death, description of rot, nonconsentual control of another person, 'like death' state of being

Sense8:

Crazy Life by MagicClem

Pairing: Kala Dandekar/Wolfgang Bogdanow/Rajan Rasal

Summary: Rajan would admit that this past few years had been crazy and life seems determined to make it crazier and crazier.Or: This is "Amor Vincit Omnia" from Rajan's perspective.

Sherlock:

Lorem Ipsum by Saathi1013 (series)

Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson/Sarah Sawyer

TW: Abduction

Star Wars:

so just pull the trigger by Darnaguen

Pairing: Han Solo/Qi'ra/Lando Calrissian

TW/TAGS: Alcohol use

Summary: “Oh, don’t pout Haan.” Lando lounges back, licking his newly berry-tinted lips with a lazy grin. “You know all you have to do is ask.”(Qi’ra’s eyes are glinting and her smile is dagger-sharp. Han knows the look: it’s one she wears whenever she has a winning hand.The dice on the table are mediocre at best. He shakes his head and drinks deep.)

Stranger Things:

All pairings are Steve Harrington/Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler

The Hawkins Three by nonymos

TW: Some canon typical homophobia and slurs

Summary: It's two weeks after the Snow Ball, Nancy's officially with Jonathan, and Steve is trying to move forward. If only he wasn't on a path that keeps circling back to the both of them.

lovers in a dangerous time by diogxnes

TW/TAGS: Briefly: panic attacks/PTSD, parental neglect

Summary: “So,” says Robin, sitting back in her chair, “what’s the deal there, anyway? With the whole you-Nancy-Jonathan thing.”The question makes his mouth run dry. Why would she ask that? Can she tell, possibly, how much he’s been thinking about Nancy these past few days? How starstruck he was when Nancy showed up at his house? Does she know about the mysterious warmth in his stomach when he thinks about Jonathan? “What do you mean, the whole me-Nancy-Jonathan thing?” “Come on, Steve. She’s your ex and he famously beat you up two years ago and now they’re dating each other and all three of you somehow ended up a part of this weird little monster-fighting club together. There’s gotta be a story there.”“I don’t know, Robs,” says Steve, rolling his eyes, relieved beyond measure that that’s all she meant. “You pretty much just covered all of it. There’s not much more to tell.”

Have Happened by cortexikid

TW/TAGS: Homophobia

Summary: "I overheard you. You were talking in your sleep.”Steve's heart fluttered nervously.“It was a little funny at first,” Nancy admitted, her tone a mix of teasing and apologetic, “you were moaning my name and I thought it’d be kinda funny if Mike accidentally overheard you having a sex dream about his sister—”Steve couldn’t control the guffaw that escaped him. “But then you said Jonathan’s name. Right after mine. All in the same breath.”

it’s a risk, it’s a gamble by nondz (pinkjook)

TW/TAGS: NSFW

Summary: “I think we should pretend to date,” Robin says. "What?" Steve answers.

still turning out by scoutshonor

TW/TAGS: Homophobic language

Summary: Steve knows senior year's supposed to be tough, but seriously?Not only does his dad want him to take over his business, but he lands himself into a fight with his best friend leaving him friendless and booted out of his inner-circle, gets stuck watching a bunch of kids after school because of a missing credit, has to repeat eleventh grade history, and, oh yeah. He has the minor issue of having no idea what he actually wants to do with his life.But it's not all that bad: not the kids he has to watch, and certainly not Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers, two friends from his history class. Friends. Just friends. Yeah, he and you both know that's bullshit.Steve's got a lot of figuring out to do.(or: HSAU Stoncy with Steve as a senior, doing his best)

(Following Stoncy fics are by @pterawaters)

Now and For Always

TW/TAGS: Explicit, Sex where one party is drunk and the other isn't

Summary: Between graduating from college, starting new careers, and planning a wedding, the summer of 1990 is a busy time for Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan. When a war starts in the middle east, Jonathan gets called away just three weeks before the wedding. He’s determined to make it back in time, no matter what it takes.

It's not like people live like this

TW/TAGS: Car Accidents, Period-Typical Homophobia, NSFW

Summary: Concerned that Steve's less-than-stellar grades might have been making them look bad, his parents hired him a tutor, Jonathan Byers, they were sure he wouldn't find as distracting as his last one. Sure, Jonathan had good grades in school, but he really wished he didn't have to take the extra work to help his mother put food on the table. After all, everyone knew Steve Harrington was a jerk. Right? It turned out, not so much. After an impromptu study-session-turned-party and a game of spin the bottle, Steve and Jonathan both found themselves dating Nancy Wheeler. And that wasn't even the strangest thing that happened to any of them that week.

Mr. Sandman (series)

TW/TAGS: Canon-typical violence, Explicit scenes

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.:

Simmer On Low by canardroublard

Pairing: Illya/Napoleon/Gaby

TW/TAGS: semi-implied consensual voyeurism, whump

Summary: Scenes from five kitchens.

The Untamed/CQL/MDZS:

inclusions by keiyashi

Pairing: Sòng Lán | Sòng Zǐchēn/Xiǎo Xīngchén/Xuē Yáng | Xuē Chéngměi

TW/TAGS: NSFW

Summary: “I guess I feel left out. And I’m asking you to show me how not to?”“Show you?” Xue Yang laughs, easing the tension the only way he knows how. “Daozhang, if you aren’t careful, I might think you’re implying something quite forward.”Xingchen blinks at him. “Xue Yang, I feel like you’re trying to embarrass me, but that is what I was implying.”

melting the glacier by keiyashi

Pairing: Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén/Mèng Yáo | Jīn Guāngyáo/Niè Míngjué

Summary: Wanting to be with Nie Mingjue is something Lan Xichen accepted about himself long ago. He wants only happiness for his friend, no matter what form it takes. Even if that form is quite lovely and possesses an enchanting mouth.

Teen Wolf:

Feels Better Biting Down by callunavulgari, hiza-chan (callunavulgari)

Pairing: Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale/Lydia Martin

TW/TAGS: Blood

That I See You by FiccinDylan

Pairing: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski/Jordan Parris

TW/TAGS: NSFW, abo, m-preg (non graphic), werewolves, triads are normal

Summary: Deputy Jordan Parrish and Chef Derek Hale are in the prime of their lives and ready to take the next step in their relationship by courting an omega. Everything seems to be progressing smoothly until the new omega (aka Stiles Stilinski, the sheriff’s son) surfaces some unresolved tension from Jordan’s past. Jordan originally had the benefit of amnesia to block out his harried background, but now with his amnesia behind him, will he be able to resolve his past before he ruins his future?

White Collar:

Always Starts the Same, with a Boy and a Girl by lightgetsin

Pairing: Neal Caffrey/Peter Burke/Elizabeth Burke

Tags: AU

Summary: Summer, 1998. Neal Caffrey robs the gallery where Elizabeth O'Dell is working late, and comes away with a lot more than art. Agent Burke has no idea what's about to hit him.

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ao3feed-bnha-rarepair · 3 years

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Battlefield

Battlefield by moonlightnightmare

In which Denki has a nightmare, and realizes that he's tired of lying. He's tired of being a pawn in someone else's game and he's going to take his life back one way or another.

Written for the Kaminari Big Bang 2021.

Words: 5016, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 4 of The Commission Kids Aren't Alright

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Kaminari Denki, Jirou Kyouka, Shinsou Hitoshi, Takami Keigo | Hawks, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Original Female Characters, Keegan St. James, H.E.N.N.A./Vyrus

Relationships: Jirou Kyouka/Kaminari Denki/Shinsou Hitoshi, kamijirou, shinkami, ShinJirou, Takami Keigo | Hawks/Original Female Character(s), Implied EraserMic

Additional Tags: commission kid denki kaminari, this shit is sad made me have many feelings, Canon Typical Violence, mentions of abuse, Panic Attacks, quirk missuse, denki is scared of the commission president with good reason, aizawa is everyone's dad, rip denki's cellphone, mentions of child grooming, the HPSC is a bunch of bastards, the HPSC is a trigger warning in and of itself, they're not good people, mentions of child abuse, Mentions of child neglect, a really bad dream sequence in which people die, denki kaminari is a smart kid, Not Beta'd, we die like denki's final brain cell.

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34837978

#AO3 Feed #FanFiction #AO3 Shinkamijirou #♣#Shinkamijirou #💫#⚡#🎧#⚤#⚣#R:T #A:Moonlight #Mental Illness

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ao3feed-hitoshi-shinsou · 3 years

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Battlefield

Battlefield by moonlightnightmare

In which Denki has a nightmare, and realizes that he's tired of lying. He's tired of being a pawn in someone else's game and he's going to take his life back one way or another.

Written for the Kaminari Big Bang 2021.

Words: 5016, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 4 of The Commission Kids Aren't Alright

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Kaminari Denki, Jirou Kyouka, Shinsou Hitoshi, Takami Keigo | Hawks, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Original Female Characters, Keegan St. James, H.E.N.N.A./Vyrus

Relationships: Jirou Kyouka/Kaminari Denki/Shinsou Hitoshi, kamijirou, shinkami, ShinJirou, Takami Keigo | Hawks/Original Female Character(s), Implied EraserMic

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34837978

#AO3 Feed #FanFiction #AO3 Shinkamijirou #♣#Shinkamijirou #Kamijirou #Keigo Takami #⚣#⚤#R:T #W:V #A:Moonlight #Mental Illness

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merrybandofmurderers · 4 years

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Inquisitor as a Companion

[source, source]

[TW for canon-typical abuse of mages, canon-typical violence and murder, implied child abuse/neglect, references to self-harm, mentions of sexual situations, references to alcohol consumption, foul language]

Inquisitor’s Name: Siobhan Trevelyan (pronounced ‘shah-VAHN’, he/him pronouns)

Race, Class, & Specialization: Human, mage, blood magic

Varric’s Nickname for him: Cutter

Default Tarot Card: Emperor – Success, strength, authority; dislike for authority, mistrustful

Romance Tarot Card: The World – Successful completion, end to personal cycle, travel; difficulty with closure, fear of change

Recruitment quest – An Aspiring Revolutionary: (triggered after The Threat Remains by speaking to Leliana in Haven) Leliana received a letter from a group of apostates looking to join the Inquisition. It’s curious that they claim no affiliation with the mage rebellion in Redcliffe, but they could still be useful. The Inquisitor is given the choice to go to the Storm Coast to meet with them.

(locate the apostate encampment east of Storm’s Solitude Camp along Westridge) The Inquisitor approaches the camp by following a trail of Templar corpses. There are twelve mages, who justify the deaths of the Templars by explaining they were attacked first. They are all radical apostates, believing the mage rebellion led by Fiona too conservative in its actions. Siobhan steps forward, introducing himself as the leader of this venture. Siobhan’s greeting is friendly if the Inquisitor is a mage and cautious if they are not. Siobhan explains his group wishes to give justice to mages, and the best way is to solve the current crisis and ally with a growing political power.

The Inquisitor can ask for more information, openly welcome them as allies, or accuse them of being maleficar for the Templar deaths:

If questioned: Siobhan willingly answers the Inquisitor’s questions, but his comrades grow restless. They express unhappiness with how much Siobhan is sharing. He tells them off, but they aren’t placated. The Inquisitor has dialogue options to de-escalate the situation or invite a confrontation:

If de-escalated, the group insists it’s too risky to ally with the Inquisition and most of them were against it in the first place. Siobhan tells them to leave if they want, but he will still join if the Inquisitor will have him. The Inquisitor can agree and recruit him or refuse, and he will leave with his comrades, telling the Inquisitor, “It’s too bad; seems like you mean well.”

If confronted, Siobhan’s comrades will attack the Inquisitor and they must fight them. When half the apostates are dead, combat ends. Siobhan warns the remaining ones off, tells them to take care of each other, and then offers his help alone. The Inquisitor can agree and recruit him or refuse, and he will leave with his comrades, telling the Inquisitor, “Shame, you seem interesting.”

If welcomed: the Inquisitor’s companions will verbally express displeasure, which provokes Siobhan’s comrades. He tries to call them off, and the Inquisitor has dialogue options to de-escalate the situation or invite a confrontation:

If de-escalated, events play out as described above. The Inquisitor can accept Siobhan’s offer or refuse, and he will leave with his comrades, telling the Inquisitor, “Sorry we couldn’t reach an understanding.”

If confronted, events play out as described above. The Inquisitor can accept Siobhan’s offer or refuse, and he will leave with his comrades, telling the Inquisitor, “It’s too bad; we could’ve done something.”

If accused: Siobhan’s comrades are angered into attacking despite his warnings to stay back, and the Inquisitor must fight them. When half the apostates are dead, combat ends. Siobhan warns the remaining ones off, tells them to take care of each other, and then asks the Inquisitor if they can really afford to be so judgmental of willing allies. “Some of us are fighting for our lives out here. I thought you’d get that.” The Inquisitor can choose to apologize and agree or reiterate their statement that the apostates are maleficar:

If agreed, Siobhan will offer his help alone, which the Inquisitor can accept and recruit him or refuse, and he will leave with his comrades, telling the Inquisitor, “My advice? Figure out what you want.”

If reiterated, the chance to recruit Siobhan is lost. He leaves in anger with his comrades, telling the Inquisitor, “Your loss.”

Where he is in Haven/Skyhold: In Haven, Siobhan can be found outside the tavern. Upon reaching Skyhold, Siobhan sequesters in the dungeon study tower beneath the library.

Things He Generally Approves of:

Allying with the mages (Greatly Approves)

Conscripting the Templars (Approves)

Briala ruling through Gaspard (Greatly Approves), all three forced into a truce (Approves), reconciling Briala and Celene (Slightly Approves)

Conscripting the Grey Wardens post-Adamant (Approves)

Allying with the Sentinels and doing the Temple rites (Approves)

Inquisitor drinks from the Well of Sorrows (Approves)

Destroying Samson’s armor (Approves)

Allowing Calpurnia to live (Greatly Approves)

Snarky or aggressive responses in general

Being helpful to mages and non-humans

Supporting mage freedom

Recruiting Clemence at the Gull and Lantern (Slightly Approves)

Saving Adan and Minaeve in Haven (Slightly Approves)

Criticizing the Chantry and Templars

Expressing uncertainty about being the Herald of Andraste

Declaring to set an example as a mage or the Inquisition a force of vengeance (Greatly Approves), for non-human options (Slightly Approves)

Killing Imshael (Greatly Approves)

Flirting with Harding with him in the party

Completing his personal quests

(if Jaws of Hakkon completed) Revealing the truth of Ameridan (Greatly Approves)

Things He Generally Disapproves of:

Conscripting the mages (Greatly Disapproves)

Allying with the Templars (Greatly Disapproves)

Gaspard or Celene ruling alone (Greatly Disapproves and Disapproves, respectively)

Exiling the Grey Wardens post-Adamant (Disapproves)

Refusing to work with the Sentinels and doing the Temple rites (Slightly Disapproves)

Morrigan drinks from the Well of Sorrows (Disapproves)

Fighting Calpurnia (Greatly Disapproves)

Aggressive, dismissive, or mocking responses to him showing vulnerability

Being rude to mages and non-humans

Supporting the Chantry, Templars, and Circles

Declaring the Inquisition for faith (Disapproves) or claiming it for their own power (Greatly Disapproves)

Making mage prisoners Tranquil during Judgment (Greatly Disapproves)

will lead to a confrontation which can result in him permanently leaving the party

Selling the histories to the Chantry after Din’an Hanin (Disapproves)

Refusing to help him with his personal quests

(if Jaws of Hakkon completed) Concealing the truth of Ameridan (Greatly Disapproves)

Mages, Templars, Other: Siobhan almost always sides with mages. He is anti-Templar, anti-Chantry, and anti-Circle. He supports non-humans and is vocal about fighting against oppressive establishments. Nothing will satisfy him but complete freedom for mages. However, Siobhan is critical of Tevinter; mage freedom is useless if built on the subjugation of others. He often engages in debates with companions, especially Cassandra, Vivienne, Solas, Dorian, and Bull.

Friends in the Inquisition: Siobhan is closest with Sera, Iron Bull, and Dorian, spending time playing pranks with Sera, drinking with Bull and arguing with him about the Qun, and debating magic with Dorian. (The Inquisitor having a good relationship with Sera, choosing the Chargers over the dreadnought, and condemning Dorian’s father will all grant approval.)

He respects and admires Leliana but doesn’t feel Leliana is open to a new friendship and so keeps his distance. While he finds Cole fascinating, Siobhan does not appreciate his invasive compassion. Disagreeing with Vivienne and recruiting Cole will gain his approval, but Siobhan will largely keep his distance from the spirit and aggressively reject any of Cole’s attempts to comfort him. He has no problem with Varric, but neither are they close; he disdains Josephine’s luxurious life but appreciates her efforts.

Siobhan is mostly at odds with Vivienne, Cullen, and Cassandra. He can’t tolerate Cassandra and Cullen’s defense of the Templars and Circles. They admit the system had problems but not that the problems originated with the Chantry and were enforced by Templars. Vivienne’s Loyalist views drive Siobhan crazy. Vivienne is, at least, critical of the Templars, but Vivienne won’t tolerate Siobhan when he starts raising his voice which only makes him more frustrated, so he tends to avoid her.

Siobhan picks up right away that Blackwall is not what he says he is; Siobhan doesn’t confront him about it but remains watchful. Initially enraged at the truth of Blackwall’s deception, he ultimately comes to understand that Blackwall was depressed and desperate to find a way to be good and make amends (giving Blackwall to the Wardens or pardoning him will grant approval, while making him carry on the lie will grant disapproval). Siobhan has fully forgiven him by Trespasser.

Romanceable: Siobhan can be romanced by a woman of any race; mages will have the easiest time of it, while human nobles will have more of a challenge. Male Inquisitors cannot flirt with Siobhan. If neither Siobhan nor Sera are romanced, they will begin a relationship; it is possible to encounter them together in Sera’s room sometime after What Pride Had Wrought, and it will be mentioned in companion banter

Cutscenes:

First: (Occurs after reaching Skyhold following the initial cutscene) Siobhan will remark on the flirting they’ve been doing and asks the Inquisitor if they’re serious or just looking for a good time and that he is not opposed to either.

If the Inquisitor says they are serious, Siobhan will falter and show vulnerability for the first time. He says he is interested in return but has never had what the Inquisitor is offering and needs time. The Inquisitor can assure him they will wait (Approves) or flirtatiously say they are looking forward to it (Slightly Disapproves).

If the Inquisitor chooses the “good time” option (Approves), Siobhan will coyly reply, “Then we’d better do something about that soon.”

Second: (Requires sufficient approval and completing side missions) If the Inquisitor previously chose the “serious” option: Siobhan and the Inquisitor are in the dungeon study tower. Siobhan remarks that they’ve been spending a lot of time together, and he wants to believe the Inquisitor is truly serious. If they are still interested, he is willing to try a relationship. At this point, the Inquisitor can confirm the romance or break it off:

To confirm, the Inquisitor must choose the dialogue option, “I will never give you reason to doubt me.” They share a kiss, with Siobhan looking at them tenderly afterward.

To break it off, the Inquisitor must choose the dialogue option, “I’m not.” Siobhan nods and say he understands but hopes they can still be friends. If the Inquisitor chooses a dismissive or mocking dialogue option, they lose significant approval and Siobhan will be frosty until it is regained. If the Inquisitor chooses an affirmative or reassuring dialogue option, they gain approval and Siobhan will continue being friendly, even showing support if the Inquisitor enters a romance with someone else.

If the Inquisitor previously chose the “good time” option: Siobhan and the Inquisitor are in bed together, bantering and enjoying the afterglow of sex. At this junction, the Inquisitor can either confirm the romance or break it off:

To confirm, the Inquisitor must ask if Siobhan remembers saying he wasn’t opposed to something serious, and Siobhan says he does. The Inquisitor says their time together has been fun, but they want something more serious, after all. Siobhan hesitates, but then admit his feelings have grown as well, and he is willing to try a relationship. They share a kiss, with Siobhan looking tenderly at them afterward.

To break it off, the Inquisitor must choose the dialogue option, “This has been fun, but I can’t keep messing around.” Siobhan pouts but says he understands and gets dressed. He will turn vulnerable and say he hopes they can still be friends. If the Inquisitor chooses a dismissive or mocking dialogue option, they lose significant approval and Siobhan will be frosty until it is regained. If the Inquisitor chooses an affirmative or reassuring dialogue option, they gain approval and Siobhan will continue being friendly, even showing support if the Inquisitor enters a romance with someone else.

Third: (begins Romance Quest, requires sufficient approval and completing companion quests; superseded by a Crisis Point if approval is too low and certain decisions were made regarding his companion quest and mage/templar issues) Romance quest – Radical Leanings: (directly after completing companion quest, provided the other requirements are met) Siobhan wakes from a nightmare in the Inquisitor’s bed and proceeds to pace about the room, distraught and angry over what happened with his father. The Inquisitor has various dialogue choices to comfort (Greatly Approves), question, or offer the distraction of sex (Slightly Approves)

In response to sex, Siobhan will laugh and accept the distraction gratefully. Afterward, he shares all the information detailed above. The Inquisitor thanks him for sharing, saying they are glad to have earned Siobhan’s trust.

After having sex, Siobhan will confess he wants to get in touch with his mother. She was married young and always under the thumb of her husband; it’s possible she doesn’t feel the same way and deserves the truth of what happened even if she doesn’t want a relationship with Siobhan. The Inquisitor can promise to help (Approves), say they need to think about it (Slightly Disapproves), or tell Siobhan it’s a bad idea (Disapproves). (a war table operation becomes available only after one of the first two responses)

Crisis Point: (Radical Leanings is superseded by the crisis point in the event that Siobhan’s approval is too low and certain decisions were made during his companion quest; if one of these is not met, a mage prisoner being made Tranquil and/or the Templars being recruited will be counted instead) Siobhan will confront the Inquisitor and say he has suffered too much to put up with being hurt by a lover. He will remain with the Inquisition for the greater good but is ending their relationship. Apologetic dialogue choices can mitigate approval loss, but the romance cannot be continued after this point. Aggressive/accusing dialogue choices will result in Siobhan leaving the Inquisition permanently.

Fourth: (concludes Radical Leanings, requires completing the war table operation with Josephine or Leliana; tarot card changes to Romance after this scene, provided the romance is not broken off) The Inquisitor will receive a letter from Dahlia Trevelyan saying she wants to see her daughter. They must take this information to Siobhan and travel to Serault in Orlais where Dahlia has been sequestered for several years. Dahlia is overjoyed to see her daughter and tearfully apologizes for failing to protect him. Siobhan is overwhelmed, and the Inquisitor can encourage him to reach out to his mother or hold her responsible for what he has suffered; respectively they will reconcile and promise to reunite after everything, or Siobhan will leave, saying they do not wish her to contact him again.

(back at Skyhold) If reconciliation was chosen (Greatly Approves): Siobhan will be tearful but happy and thank the Inquisitor for all they’ve done. He feels at peace for the first time in a long time and looks forward to renewing his relationship with his mother.

(back at Skyhold) If refutation was chosen: Siobhan will be agitated and snappish, and the Inquisitor has various dialogue options to offer help (Approves). Siobhan will apologize and thank the Inquisitor for everything they’ve done. He confesses he is disappointed, but he should have known better than to hope his mother would have a satisfying solution to everything. The Inquisitor comforts Siobhan and says they will be part of his family if he wishes.

(if the Inquisitor refused to help in the previous scene and the war table operation was not triggered) Siobhan will be temporarily removed from the party but be at Skyhold the next time the Inquisitor returns. He reveals that he contacted his mother against the Inquisitor’s advice and met with her in Serault. He was glad to see her but not satisfied with what she had to say. The Inquisitor can offer comfort (Greatly Approves), say “I warned you,” (Slightly Disapproves) or be angry with Siobhan’s disappearance (Disapproves):

If comforted, Siobhan thanks them, apologizes for leaving, and muses that maybe reconciliation will take time. The Inquisitor can promise to be with him next time and they kiss.

If “I warned you”, Siobhan bitterly says, “I suppose you did. But I had to see for myself.” The Inquisitor can then de-escalate by offering to be there if Siobhan ever needs to talk about it (Approves), Siobhan thanks them, and they kiss. If they don’t de-escalate, the romance is broken off with the scene from the crisis point.

If angered, Siobhan argues back that he had to do this and thought the Inquisitor would understand. The Inquisitor can apologize (Approves), to which Siobhan does too. They kiss, and the Inquisitor offers to be there for him in the future. If they don’t apologize, Siobhan says, “It seems we misjudged each other,” and the romance is broken off with the scene from the crisis point.

Small side mission – A Pair of Black Sheep: (triggered after meeting the Warden contact in Crestwood) Hawke’s Warden ally has a contact within the Wardens who turns out to be Siobhan’s sibling, Aisling. Three war table operations become consecutively available to assist them and in turn provide information on how Corypheus infiltrated the Wardens (must speak with Siobhan at Skyhold after meeting the Warden in Crestwood to trigger the operations and speak with Siobhan once each is completed to trigger the next one)

If the operations are completed before starting Here Lies the Abyss at the war table, Aisling will come to Skyhold and join you on the siege of Adamant, which grants the Inquisitor a bonus towards pacifying the Wardens (there will be a heartfelt cutscene at Skyhold with Aisling and Siobhan reuniting which grants a Greatly Approves). Afterward, Aisling will leave for Weisshaupt, regardless if the Wardens are recruited or exiled, and tells the Inquisitor to take care of their younger sister.

If the operations are not completed, Aisling will not be present at Adamant (the Inquisitor will receive a Greatly Disapproves from Siobhan by starting the quest at the war table without completing them). After returning to Skyhold, Siobhan will receive a letter from Leliana, informing him that Aisling’s subterfuge was discovered, and they were forced to flee to Weisshaupt.

Companion quest – A Red Right Hand: Siobhan tells the Inquisitor that Leliana received a letter from a desperate mage regarding their collective being besieged by Templars. They did not wish to fight in the war, but that didn’t matter to the Templars, and now they seek asylum in the Inquisition with the hope to bring peace. Siobhan asks the Inquisitor to help with the matter and they can either agree (Greatly Approves) or say they will think about it (Slightly Disapproves).

(cutscene triggered by traveling to the Western Approach and arriving at the Ritual Tower provided the quest confronting Erimond has been completed, if not it can be triggered by fast traveling away and then returning; takes the place of the Fortress Squatters quest) It is revealed that the letter was a ruse to lure Siobhan to the tower. There are several Templars keeping a handful of mages captive in chains. The Inquisitor has the dialogue options, “What’s going on here?”/“A trap. I should have expected.” (Slightly Disapproves)/“Surrender now and release these mages or else.” (Approves)

The man who orchestrated this trap appears and is revealed to be Siobhan’s father, Dolan Trevelyan. He hoped to have Siobhan captured and killed or made Tranquil to “prevent further embarrassment to the family.” Siobhan retorts, “You are not my family. You saw to that years ago.” He reveals he tricked the mages into capture by spreading rumors that the tower was a mage haven.

Siobhan is hurt and enraged at his father’s betrayal and swears to kill him. The Inquisitor can tell Siobhan to hold back (Disapproves) or let him kill his father (Approves).

If held back, then depending on dialogue choices/perks, the Inquisitor can trick the Templars into standing down and free the mages (Approves) or fight the Templars and free the mages (Greatly Approves); freeing the mage automatically recruits them to the Inquisition. Siobhan will then kill his father regardless. If the Templars were tricked, the Inquisitor can choose to recruit them (Greatly Disapproves) or conscript them (Slightly Approves).

If he kills his father first, the Templars react by slaughtering the mages. The Inquisitor can then choose to recruit them (Greatly Disapproves), conscript them (Slightly Approves), or kill them (Greatly Approves).

Depending on if Siobhan’s disapproval threshold is met, recruiting the templars can prompt him to leave the party permanently; if Siobhan does not leave now, he can use this decision to accuse the Inquisitor in potential later scenes.

Option 1: (back at Skyhold, the mages are saved) Siobhan thanks the Inquisitor for their help, saying he is glad his decision to join the Inquisition was proven to be the right one. The Inquisitor can say they were glad to help (Approves) or tell Siobhan to be more careful vetting requests for help in the future (Disapproves):

If glad, Siobhan will tell the Inquisitor they are a good friend, and he is certain the recruited mages will be a benefit to the Inquisition. The Inquisitor can then ask about Siobhan’s father (Slightly Approves), to which Siobhan replies, “It doesn’t matter. He’s dead now, and that’s good enough for me. Now let’s get drunk.”

If chastised, Siobhan will argue, “You saved those mages when they would have died otherwise! That isn’t good enough for you?” The Inquisitor can admit he is right (Slightly Approves) or stay firm (Disapproves):

If conceded, Siobhan will assure the Inquisitor they did the right thing. The Inquisitor can then ask about Siobhan’s father (Slightly Approves), to which Siobhan replies, “It doesn’t matter. He’s dead now, and that will have to be good enough. Now let’s get drunk.”

If firm, Siobhan will say, “And here I thought better of you. Watch yourself, Inquisitor. Your good works won’t protect your reputation if your callousness gets out.” He then turns and leaves before the Inquisitor can reply.

Option 2: (back at Skyhold, the mages are not saved) The Inquisitor asks how Siobhan is doing. Siobhan snaps, “How do you think I’m doing?” The Inquisitor has the choice to offer comfort or snap back:

If comforted: Siobhan will apologize, saying the Inquisitor does not deserve their anger. The Inquisitor can then ask about Siobhan’s father (Slightly Approves), to which Siobhan replies, “Does it matter? He was always a terrible father, and now he finally got what he deserved.” The Inquisitor says they are there for him if Siobhan ever needs to talk (Approves). Siobhan replies, “I might take you up on that offer. Someday. Now let’s get drunk.”

If angry: Siobhan will apologize, saying the Inquisitor does not deserve their anger. The Inquisitor accepts his apology and can then ask about Siobhan’s father (Slightly Approves), to which Siobhan replies, “Does it matter? He was always a terrible father, and now he can rot.” The Inquisitor says they are there for him if Siobhan ever needs to talk (Approves). Siobhan replies, “I might take you up on that offer. Someday. Now let’s get drunk.”

Tarot card change

Option 1: The Devil (reversed) – Chains of oppression broken, freedom to choose

Option 2: The Tower – Sudden changes, disruption, calamity, end of a cycle

(if the Inquisitor has initiated a romance with Siobhan, the completion of this quest will trigger the beginning of the Romance Quest or the Crisis Point)

Friendship Cutscene: (occurs after completing companion quest) Siobhan comes to the Inquisitor’s room, confessing he had a nightmare, and is distraught and angry over what happened with his father. The Inquisitor has dialogue choices to comfort (Greatly Approves), question, or berate him for how he handled everything (Greatly Disapproves):

In response to comfort, Siobhan will thank the Inquisitor for supporting him and being understanding. He reveals his history of being disowned and sent to the Circle, of the abuse by Templars, of escaping and rescuing his sibling and curing their Tranquility only to lose them to the Wardens, joining an apostate group to protect mages and fight Templars. The Inquisitor has different tones to provide further comfort. If they are a mage, they can commiserate with Siobhan’s suffering (Slightly Approves). The scene concludes with Siobhan saying, “You are a blessing I thought I would never have. I am glad to have you as my friend.

In response to questioning, Siobhan says, “You deserve to know after all you have done for me,” and shares all the information detailed above. The Inquisitor can then offer comfort and Siobhan will thank them. If they are a mage, they can commiserate with Siobhan’s suffering (Slightly Approves). The scene concludes with Siobhan saying, “I’m glad to have met you. I am glad you are my friend.

In response to berating, Siobhan will snap back, “What do you know of my life? You know nothing of what I have been through!”

If not a mage, the Inquisitor can either agree (Slightly Approves) or say that doesn’t excuse Siobhan’s (Greatly Disapproves):

If agreed, Siobhan will calm down and share an abbreviated version of the information detailed above. The inquisitor will offer comfort, and Siobhan will thank them.

If resolute, Siobhan will spit at them and say the Inquisitor is lucky to be the savior of the world, or Siobhan would not hesitate to make them pay for their callousness. If his approval is low enough, he will then leave the party permanently.

If a mage, the Inquisitor can either argue back that Siobhan’s suffering does not excuse their actions (Disapproves) or say that they do know and they are sorry Siobhan carries such anger inside him; they can say they struggle with anger too (Approves), or that they hope Siobhan can find peace (Slightly Approves):

If argued, Siobhan will accuse them of being a brainwashed, submissive mage, exactly as the Chantry wants. The Inquisitor responds that they have done what they need to survive; since Siobhan has done the same, he has no right to judge them (Slightly Approves). Siobhan will flinch, then turn away and leave the room.

If commiserated, Siobhan will calm down and share an abbreviated version of the information detailed above. The Inquisitor will offer comfort, and Siobhan will thank them and apologize for lashing out.

(following the friendship cutscene, if Siobhan did not leave) Siobhan will be temporarily removed from the party but be at Skyhold the next time the Inquisitor returns. He reveals that he contacted his mother and met with her in Serault. She was married young and always under the thumb of her husband; it was possible she didn’t feel the same way and deserved the truth of what happened, even if she didn’t want a relationship with Siobhan. He was glad to see her but not satisfied with what she had to say. The Inquisitor can offer comfort (Greatly Approves), or be angry with Siobhan’s disappearance (Disapproves):

If comforted, Siobhan thanks them, apologizes for leaving, and muses that maybe reconciliation will take time. The Inquisitor can promise to be with him next time and Siobhan says he is glad to have the Inquisitor as a friend.

If angered, Siobhan argues back that he had to do this and thought the Inquisitor would understand. The Inquisitor can apologize (Approves), to which Siobhan does too, and the Inquisitor offers to be there for him in the future. If they don’t apologize, Siobhan says, “It seems we misjudged each other.” If his approval is low enough, Siobhan will then permanently leave the party.

Leaving the Inquisition: (if the Inquisitor reaches Siobhan’s disapproval threshold) Siobhan will confront the Inquisitor and say he has suffered too much to put up with being hurt by a supposed comrade. He will remain with the Inquisition for the greater good but will leave as soon as Corypheus is defeated. Apologetic dialogue choices can mitigate approval loss, but Siobhan will leave permanently if his approval does not improve. Aggressive/accusing dialogue choices will result in Siobhan immediately leaving the Inquisition permanently with the parting words that the Inquisitor is lucky to be the savior of the world, or Siobhan would not hesitate to make them pay for their callousness.

BANTER

Cole’s reflection on his thoughts:

(General) “Blood is life, life is power. He takes his due, will bleed to never be bound again.”

(After personal quest, if mages saved) “He is powerful, never powerless. Will break the bondage for his kin who cannot fight. Silver swords slice, but it only makes him stronger.”

(After personal quest, if mages killed) “Their blood, their bodies. ‘I failed, I failed, I failed.’ He didn’t. He tried. So many don’t.”

(If romanced) “A burst of warmth at the sight of her. Brilliant, beautiful, striking the core of his soul. ‘Anything, I would do anything.’ So would you.”

(After meeting his mother) “So many questions, so few answers. ‘Mother, don’t let them take me!’ Turned away to hide her tears from his. Guilt-gutted. But he is heart-torn, wonders if he can heal.”

Comment(s) on Mages:

Siobhan: “It’s good to see mages finally fighting back.”

Vivienne: “Because it’s impossible to make change without senseless carnage.”

Siobhan: “‘Cause the Templars are so sensible, huh?”

(after killing mages) Siobhan: “It’s a fucking waste. If these mages had just been taught right, been respected, it wouldn’t have had to come to this.”

Cassandra: “The Circle was in place for—”

Siobhan: “Oh, shut up. You’re one of those most responsible for this mess. Your whole job was to keep abuses from happening and you failed. Catastrophically.”

(hinterlands) Siobhan: “So many people think mages want violence, but we don’t. We just want to live.”

Vivienne: “Life is but a series of necessary restrictions, darling.”

Siobhan: “I’m not talking about restrictions. Imprisonment isn’t restrictions, abuse isn’t restrictions. This chaos harms everyone, but we were pushed to our limits. (sadly) Don’t we deserve to be just as safe as anyone else?”

Vivienne: (kindly) “The world you hope for doesn’t exist, my dear. There will always need to be sacrifices.”

Siobhan: “I can’t believe that.”

Comment(s) on Templars:

(after killing templars) Siobhan: (spits) “Serves you fucking right.”

Cassandra: “You shouldn’t disrespect the dead.”

Siobhan: “Big words from the person who made him dead.”

(hinterlands) Siobhan: “Fucking bastards, every single one of them.”

Blackwall: “Really? Every single one?”

Siobhan: “You find me a Templar that never hurt a mage or looked the other way, and I’ll gladly have a drink with them. Until then, the only thing their entrails are good for is feeding the crows.”

Siobhan: “People always wanna talk about Templar suffering, so let’s fucking talk. Mages left the Chantry to protect themselves from being hurt—Templars left the Chantry ‘cause they wanted to hurt us even more. I’ll feel sympathy for Templars when they actually feel sorry about what they’ve done.”

Reaction to being in the Fade:

Siobhan: “So, we’re in the Fade? Physically in the actual fucking Fade? That’s, uh—” (shaky laugh) “—shit.”

Siobhan (at the graveyard of fears): “Not looking at that, not thinking about it, shoving that into a dungeon and locking the fucking door.”

Siobhan: “Wish I had a fucking drink. You think this Fade water would make me black out?”

Solas: “Unfortunately not.”

Siobhan (about Divine Justinia): “Definitely a spirit. Or demon.”

Iron Bull: “That supposed to be comforting?”

Siobhan: “No.”

(encountering fearlings for the first time)

Hawke: “And they take the form of spiders, something so many fear.”

Siobhan: (mutters) “Spiders, huh? I’d have taken fucking spiders.”

(encountering the Nightmare)

Nightmare: (in Aisling’s voice) “Do you ever wonder if the words they call you are true? ‘Apostate’. ‘Maleficar’. You carve into your wrists to draw on a greater power, the power of demons. Do you ever think about proving the words true? I could give you a power greater than you’ve ever dreamed.”

Siobhan: “Get my sibling’s voice out of your fucking mouth! A demon’s never gotten the better of me, and you certainly fucking won’t!”

When looking for something:

“What’s that?”

“You know what they say about curiosity… something to do with cats?”

When finding a campsite:

“I’ve camped in worse places.”

“Huh, looks safe enough.”

Kills an Enemy:

“Thought you could fucking take me, huh?”

(using blood magic) “Hey, ever wonder what your insides look like?”

“Damn right you should be afraid of me!”

When the Inquisitor Falls:

“Get the fuck back up!”

“You think I’m gonna let you die, huh?”

“You’ve still gotta save the world, fucker!”

(if romanced) “Don’t even think of leaving me!”

When he is low on Health:

“Some fucking help here!”

“Hurt like a bitch!”

“Bleeding’s under control, but I could use a potion!”

When he sees a Dragon:

“Please tell me we are fighting that!”

“Knew I made the right choice joining you.”

When doing his small side quest, A Pair of Black Sheep:

Initiating: (triggered by speaking to Siobhan after returning from meeting the Warden contact in Crestwood) Inquisitor: “So, you have a sibling?”

Siobhan: “Yeah, a few years older. To be honest, I’m not really surprised they’re in the middle of this. They can’t help trying to save people.”

Inquisitor: “Seems like it would be a good idea to get in contact.” (Approves)/“Are sure contacting them is a good idea?” (Slightly Disapproves)

Siobhan: “Leliana can probably help with that.” (following this conversation, the first war table operation becomes available)

First: (triggered by speaking to Siobhan after completing the first war table operation) Inquisitor: “Heard back from Aisling.”

Siobhan: (Approves) “Yeah? What did they say?”

Inquisitor: “They’re safe, and they gave us some good information on Corypheus. They need some resources, though.”

Siobhan: (pleased) “Well, let’s see what Leliana can do.” (following this conversation, the second war table operation becomes available)

Second: (triggered by speaking to Siobhan after completing the second war table operation) Inquisitor: “The resources we provided helped Aisling out.”

Siobhan: (Approves) “I really appreciate this, Inquisitor.”

Inquisitor: “It’s important.” (Approves)/“It helps us, too.” (Slightly Disapproves)/“We need all the help we can get to take down Corypheus.” (Slightly Approves

Siobhan: “Let’s see what else we can do, then.” (following this conversation, the third war table operation becomes available)

Third: (triggered by speaking to Siobhan after completing the third war table operation, concludes quest) Inquisitor: “Your sibling’s really helped us out. We’ll be ready to move as soon as we hear from [Warden contact].”

Siobhan: (Greatly Approves) “I can’t wait. Corypheus won’t know what hit him.”

Default saying:

High approval:

“You need me?”

“Good to see you.”

“Got something for me to kill, I hope.”

Neutral:

“Yeah?”

“What is it?”

“Need something killed?”

Low Approval:

(sharply) “What?”

(snarky) “Let me guess: the world’s ending again.”

“You thinkin’ about paying me back sometime soon?”

Romanced:

“Hey, lover.”

“Am I glad to see you.”

(sultry) “And what could you possibly need me for, huh?”

Travel Banter with Canon Companions:

(walking around) Siobhan: “I sort of thought the Tevinter would be the one person accepting of blood magic.”

Dorian: “Why would I be accepting of something only resorted to by weak-minded fools?”

Siobhan: (scoffs) “You’ve never been inside one of our Circles, you’ve never had to fight for survival in the wilds. I’d like to see how long you’d last.”

(walking around) Siobhan: “So… Cassandra. How straight are you really?”

Cassandra: “Who said I was straight?

Siobhan: “I’ve heard it around.”

Cassandra: “Just because I do not flaunt it, I suppose…”

Sera: (if in the party) “Told ya! You owe me a sovereign, Serrah Bloody Bits.”

(after Demands of the Qun) Siobhan: “You know, Bull, I appreciate you.”

Iron Bull: “Even though I’m Qunari/Tal-Vashoth?”

Siobhan: “I’m not talking about that. I appreciate that you’re not ashamed. But even more than that, I appreciate that you’ve never flirted with me.”

Iron Bull: “Wasn’t sure you’d be comfortable with it.”

Siobhan: “I wouldn’t be. That doesn’t stop most men. So. I appreciate it.”

Iron Bull: “…No problem, Von.”

(discovering Venatori notes in the Hissing Wastes) Siobhan: “You know, it’s these bastards that give blood magic a bad name. Well, and the Vint magister bastards.”

Dorian: (if in the party) “How good of you not to forget.”

Siobhan: “And the Chantry, of course.”

Dorian: “Yes, can’t forget that.”

Cassandra: (if in the party) “The Chantry—”

Siobhan: “Shut up, Seeker.”

#my stuff #oc meme #oc: siobhan (trevelyan)#this is.. so long lmao #i am very pleased with it but #i've got three more to go OTL #also formatting looks funky on the ddash #recommend you read on the actual blog page #i have no idea how this would fit into an actual playthru #but since we all know dai's narrative structure is fucked anyway it doesnt really matter #why are my trigger warnings always so fucking long #well better safe than sorry #oc stuff

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jamiebluewind · 5 years

Text

A Flame In The Dark: Chapter 1

Chapter 2 is up now! I'll try to link it here when I get the chance ^_^

Fandom: Dimension 20, Fantasy High

Word Count: 3594

Perspective: Riz

Note: Hurt/Comfort. There are a lot of trigger warnings, so please keep them in mind and stay safe.

Characters: Riz Gukgak, Fig Faeth, Adaine Abernant, Fabian Seacaster, Kristen Applebees, Gorgug Thistlespring (implied), Tracker O'Shaughnessey, Sandra Lynn Faeth, Ragh Barkrock (implied), Cathilda Ceíli (mentioned), and unnamed OC

Warnings: violence, death mention, canon typical violence (specifically Riz killing assholes), panic attack, abuse, injury, child abuse, starvation, neglect, isolation, imprisonment, dark themes, trauma, child murder mention, sewage mention, fantasy racism, implied slavery, parasite mention, blood mention (please message me if I missed any)

Summary: A hobgoblin that's responsible for an untold number of atrocities against goblins is dead. The battle is over. Riz's friends run to him to help calm his shaking form. None of them are prepared for what happens next.

"Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness." Anne Frank

*****

The hobgoblin devastator stood there, almost smug as he looked down at Riz. To the hobgoblin, the offer was more than fair. A strong intelligent gobin being allowed to become a chief and fulfilling its roll of serving its betters? It was a kindness meant to somehow balance out his atrocities. Riz's blood boiled.

The smug bastard wasn't prepared for his rapier. Surprised. Sneak attack. Critial blow. Massive damage. A second critical slash while the bastard scrambled for his weapon. Riz was eerily quite, moving as silent as death. And to the hobgoblin, that's what Riz was. Death and pure unbrided rage.

The fight was short, so short in fact that the others didn't have time to act before the monster was laid out before Riz's feet. His friends ran to him. His breathing was heavy. He had always known that goblins were treated poorly in some countries, but he never realized... it made him sick. God it made him sick! The monster that had hurt his people was gone, but the bastard being dead on the floor didn't stop his body from shaking. Didn't erase the images of scars and beatings and dead children.

Someone was speaking to him. Scuffed hands placed Boggy in his arms. His friends knelt beside him so he didn't have to crane his neck. They were banged up from the battle to get where they were and bruises were already starting to form, but they were all there for him. A glance around the room showed that Cathilda and Sandra Lynn were there as well, alert and standing guard so that the kids could be safe while they focused on him. The anger melted away. His logical mind came out of its fog. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

He opened his mouth to speak when he froze. His ears twitched as a soft sound came from the rows of cages hanging a few yards behind the rusted metal throne. They weren't alone. He put a finger to his lips and whispered to his friends to keep talking before he stealthfully crept towards the origin of the sound.

Riz crouched low to check under the suspended cages, but there appeared to be nothing there. That didn't mean that someone wasn't hiding somewhere else. There were a lot of options and the possibility of an invisibility spell to consider.

The floor was a criss-cross of grates with a long open deep gap between the back wall and the floor. The wafting smell and a nearby hose implied that the design was probably meant to wash away waste, but it could also be used as a hiding place. He made sure to watch his step.

The chains supporting the cages could also make for a good hiding place for a decent climber. He scanned the ceiling, paying close attention to the more shadowy areas. It was badly lit at best, perfect for a rogue to disappear into, but perfect for him as well. Nothing stood out, so he kept looking.

The cages themselves weren't an ideal hiding place, but they would do in a pinch. They would also work as a bit of extra armor if someone locked themselves inside one. He relaxed his eyes and focused past the bars of the cages. A small, out of place shape stood out against the angular bars. With his friends still talking nonsense in the background, he slowly made his way over. He considered what the shape could be. Everything from a sack of food to an actual demilich crossed his mind, but he wasn't prepared what he found.

Locked inside one of the suspended cages was a small goblin child. She couldn't have been more than three or four years old. Her dark orange hair was caked with dirt. A threadbare tunic hung off her dangerously thin form. Riz gasped and her head shot up at the sound. She stared at him with intense amber eyes that stood out against the grime covering her face. There was no fear there, only acknowledgement.

Riz cleared his throat. [Hi], he spoke softly in Ghukliak, hoping his accent wasn't too thick. [My name is Riz Gukgak. I'm going to get you out of there... okay?]

A slight curious tilt to her head was the only indication she gave that she understood him. He pulled out his tool and she flinched. [No it's okay!] he said hurriedly as he threw his hands up in surrender, hoping it made him look less threatening. It didn't help. [Look], he said as he tried to hand her one of the tools he didnt need for her door. She snatched it from him.

[This], he said, pointing to his tool, [is something I use to open locks. They can't hurt anyone.] He pulled out a second tool and poked his finger with it to demonstrate. A tiny prick from the pointed edge, but no actual damage.

The child studied the small tool in her hand before cautiously handing it back. Riz took it as a good sign and started to work. The simple unwarded lock was open in seconds.

The door creeked open, but she didn't bolt out like he expected her too. Her head tilted again as she seemed to study the open door and the goblin before her, almost like she was unsure of what to do.

Riz decided to take a careful, patient approach. [It's okay], he said. [You're safe. You can come out now.] She seemed to lean towards the door just a fraction before going back.

Riz stood there and watched. He breathed in and out deeply and tried to relax his muscles, hoping she would do the same. The pungent smell of filth coating her tiny form filled his lungs, but he kept his face relaxed. His plan seemed to work to some degree as the little goblin stopping hiding behind her knees.

The energetic chatter from his friends was starting to die down. They would probably come looking for him any minute now. Riz looked the child directly in the eyes and - with every ounce of sincerely and conviction he could put into it - told her [I promise, I will protect you.]

Something seemed to click within her and she slowly crawled forward. Her guard was up and Riz had no doubt that she would attack if given the opportunity, but she was still moving towards the door.

She made it to the opening and hesitated. Riz held out his arms. [If you don't wanna walk], he said, [I could carry you... if you want me to].

She looked down at his arms, up to his face, and back again. She seemed to consider his offer before raising her arms. He lifted her up and something in his brain screamed 'too light too light too light!' He tried not to think about the pests in her hair, her pronounced ribs, or what could have happened to her while she was down there. He failed.

Her large ears perked up as his friends started to speak in frantic whispers. He looked down at the child in his arms. [Those], he said with a jerk of his head, [are my friends. I'm going to let them know we're here. They won't hurt us. They will keep us safe.]

They seemed to move closer. He heard a sword being pulled from its scabbard. No time for subtlety. "Guys!" he yelled. She flinched in his arms. "Stay there," he said as he tried to calm her.

"...why?" Fabian asked, confused.

"Are there traps?" That was Sandra Lynn.

"Are you in trouble?" Kristen asked. She sounded worried.

The little goblin turned her head towards the voices and growled low and threateningly. Riz had no idea what the hell he was doing, but he held her close and whisped [It's okay, shhh]. "Everything's okay guys," he answered. "I just need everyone to be very still and nonthreatening."

"What the hell is going on?!" Fabian said. He sounded pissed now.

"We know as much as you do," Adaine answered.

"Is it a trap?" Fig asked.

[Everything's fine], Riz answered. He was too busy trying to calm down a tiny goblin to notice that he was still speaking in Ghukliak. [I found a kid. She's in rough shape. Probably needs healing too if anybody has a spare slot.] Riz also didn't realized that he had walked straight towards his friends on autopilot until someone gasped.

"What the hell is that!" Fabian yelled while pointing his finger at the girl. It was a big mistake. She bared her teeth and lashed out with lightening speed. She missed with her claws, but the tiny points of her teeth sunk into the flesh of Fabian's hand. "Ow!" he screamed as she jerked back towards Riz, still growling and grasping Riz's shirt as she tried to look as menacing as possible. It was nice to know that she trusted him to some degree and wanted to protect him, but gods damn!

"First off," Riz stated, starting to feel fatigued, "don't point your finger and scream at something that's growing at you."

"Uah!" Fabian answered with a sharp exhale, still holding his now injured hand.

"Second," Riz continued, ignoring Fabian's reaction, "this would be a goblin." He looked back towards the area he had just come from. Back towards the rows and rows of rusty cages hanging over a metal grate covered floor. Back towards a place that smelled of sewage and death. "She was... locked in one of the cages." His voice got quieter with each word. "She's just a kid. That asshole... he was locking toddlers in cages."

The others froze. Even Fabian seemed to stiffen as he took in the sight with its horrifying new context. They looked back at Riz and then down at the tiny goblin in his arms. Really looked at her. Bones pressing against skin covered in filth. Sunken tired eyes. Nicks along oversized ears, a jagged edge at the tip of one where a point should have been. Their faces all softened.

Fig shifted her weight and crossed her arms. "Good thing that bastard's already dead," she said, eyes filled with fire and rage, "because I wanna kill him. In fact, can we bring him back so I can do that?" The joking tone that was normally in her voice was completely absent.

"No," Kristen answered softly. "We all need the slots to heal everyone." She walked over to Fig and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Besides," she said as she dismissively waved towards the body of the deceased hobgoblin, "that asshole isn't even worth the time it would take to cast a cantrip."

Fig sighed. "Yeah," she said as some of the fight drained out of her. "You're right. But still..."

Everyone stood silently, save for the child and her steady growl. Adaine cleared her throat. "We should probably get out of here," she said to the group. "I don't believe there are any more, but we don't need to take that chance, especially with a small child in tow."

Everyone nodded in agreement and made their way towards the exit. Riz followed a few steps behind the group, hoping distance from the others would help the child calm down. It seemed to work as her growls quieted slowly as the 'threat' seemed to pass, but she was still on high alert. They continued to walk in silence. It had been a long day.

After over half an hour of walking, Adaine paused for a moment. Riz stopped as well, not wanting to get too close. He watched as she pulled out her spellbook and started flipping through its pages. She mumbled to herself, somehow able to both skim its pages and continue walking at her normal pace without tripping. He wondered if it was a wizard thing.

"I could cast comprehend languages," she said to no one in particular. "Oh but... shoot. That only works on me and only on comprehension, not speaking it. Hum..." more pages rustled as their footsteps echoed in the cave.

"Oh!" Adaine said a bit too loud, amplified by the acoustics of the cave. She didn't seem to notice, too focused on her book. Riz looked down, expecting to see the child on edge again. Instead, she seemed calm and curious about the strange girl before her.

"Tongues," Adaine told the walls. "That could work. Oh... but that one would take an hour to cast..." She flipped a page and ran her fingers over the script. "BUT, I can cast it on anyone and they can both understand languages AND be understood. Hum... it also has a one hour duration and no extra components. Yes. I believe that would be the best option." A comfortable silence followed, save for Adaine reading the complicated spell in a steady tone. Amber eyes watched her intently as the mouth of the cave drew near.

The bright light of the outside made the little one squint and hide her face against Riz's vest. He sighed and pulled off his hat, placing it on her head. If he was going to need to be treated for lice anyway, he might as well make her life a little easier.

Normally the hat would have been far too large for a kid her age, but between her thick hair and the layer of dried mud on top of it, the hat fit her perfectly. She reached up to touch the fabric. There was a flash of a tiny smile that was gone as fast as it came. Riz would have questioned if it had happened at all if he hadn't felt her tiny body relax in his arms.

The further the group got from that horrid place, the more they seemed to relax. Sandra Lynn patted her daughter on the arm before running off to scout ahead. Kristen and Tracker started acting like their lovey dovey selves, occasionally looking back to make sure that they weren't frightening their tiny guest. Soon, the whole party was talking and laughing as Kristen, Tracker, and Fig started working on healing.

That was until the first strum of Fig's bass. Little eyes went wide as her grip tightened on Riz. "Hey Fig!" Riz called out, stopping Fig before she could get another spell out. "I think she's scared of your bass."

"Oh shit!" Fig said, pausing mid strum. "I'm sorry little dude."

Riz furrowed his brow, trying to decide the best course of action. Fig looked genuinely upset over scaring the kid, but her skills were needed. Plus, there was no way to avoid using it in the long term. "Maybe," he said to Fig, still turning over all the options in his head, "you can show her that it's safe?"

"Yeah," she answered with a nod. "I could do that. She looks like she could use a heal anyway."

"Just..." he said, holding up a free hand. "Just let me warn her first."

Riz looked down. The child wasn't growling yet. That was a good sign. [Hey], he said to get her attention. She took her gaze off the others to look up at him. [See that lady with the horns?] She looked away from him towards Fig who had moved closer to the pair, but was still keeping her distance. [Yeah. That's 'Fig'. She helps people and beats up bad guys.] Her death grip on him seemed to loosen a little. [She wants to help you feel better. Is that okay?]

She looked back and forth between Riz and Fig. He watched the gears turn as she silently contemplated and examined Fig (for what, he couldn't say). Finally, she pointed a finger at Fig and looked up at Riz. "I think she's saying that you can come over," Riz said without breaking eye contact with her.

"You sure?" Fig asked, hesitantly. As if somehow understanding the intention behind the words, the little hand currency pointing at Fig became more insistent. Fig laughed. "Okay!" she answered. "You got it boss."

Fig made her way towards the pair. "Hey kid," she said, walking backwards as she faced them. Her longer legs allowed her to walk the same speed as Riz (show off). "I'm Fig. You got a name?"

Riz immediately felt like an idiot for not asking. [She wants to know what your name is], he said. The child looked up at him and tilted her head. She looked... confused. Shit. Shit, shit, shit! How long was she even trapped down there?!

Riz looked back up. "I don't think she knows," he said.

"Shit dude," Fig answered as she fell in step beside Riz. Amber eyes watched her closely. "That's really messed up."

Riz was about to say more when a little finger poked his chest. He looked down and was met with a very scrunched up annoyed face. "Huh?" he asked, a bit confused.

"I think she wants you to translate dude," Fig answered with a smirk.

Riz smiled. His heart felt warm. ['Fig' said you deserve a name], he said tactfully. [So we are gonna help you find one that you like.]

Her reaction was unexpected, but priceless. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. She swiveled her head quickly back and fourth between Riz and Fig, his hat barely staying on her head. She blinked rapidly, trying to process something. Riz wasn't entirely sure how to take the reaction until her smile appeared again. Just the tiniest quirk to the corners of her mouth, only this time it stayed several seconds before it was gone.

"Woah," Fig said. She was smiling too, only it was bright and so big that it made her eyes crinkle. "What brought that on?"

"I told her we would help her find a name," Riz answered.

"Yes!" Fig exclaimed. "We gotta find one that's really cool, like... Bonecrusher or... um..." Fig screwed her face as she tried to think of a second option.

"Fig," Riz said. He was trying to sound serious, but it was hard when you're standing next to someone that though a sexy rat was a great idea. "We are not naming a small goblin child Bonecrusher. That is a TERRIBLE idea. For so many reasons!"

He felt a tiny finger jab his chest again. [Sorry], he said to the aforementioned small goblin child. ['Fig' is really excited about helping you find a name.] The response seemed to satisfy her as she looked back over at Fig.

Fig studied her a moment and slowly help out her bass. "This," she said, pointing to the instrument, "is a bass. I use it to make music, help people, and kick ass. You can touch it, if you want."

The child glanced at Riz. [She said this is a 'bass'], he translated. [It's how she uses her powers. She said you can touch it.]

The child considered this. Fig kept her bass held out as they walked. It was unusual for Fig to be patient about anything. Riz was grateful that today was one of those days.

A tiny hand reached out towards the bass before shooting back. Fig just kept holding it in position. Several aborted attempts later, a tiny hand finally reached the guitar. She looked up at Fig. Fig smiled.

"You wanna hear it play?" Fig asked, her smile now crooked and filled with mischief.

[She wants to know if you want to hear it make sounds], Riz said without being asked.

She looked up at Fig and down at the instrument, her hand still resting on the red finish. She pulled her hand away, only to point at the bass.

"Ask and you shall receive," Fig answered, playing a single note.

A tiny gasp came out of the child as her mouth hung slightly open. Her tiny hand went forward again, hesitant but more sure. She stopped with a finger over a string and looked up to Fig. Fig nodded and her finger went down and plucked a string. A single note rang out. She watched the string vibrate before plucking another with a bit more force. It sounded louder than the first. She tilted her head in a way that was starting to become familiar before plucking the first string again. Then the second. First. Second. First. Second. Her eyebrows furrowed the entire time as if she was unlocking a secret, her eyes focused in concentration. She eventually tried the other strings as well. When she was finaly satisfied, she brought her hand back to Riz and looked up at Fig.

"Not bad for a first try," Fig said, the smile still plastered on her face. She seemed to be enjoying herself and her current audience. "Wanna see something even cooler?"

[She said you did good], Riz translated, [She wants to show you something else... are you're okay with that?]

The child looked up at Fig and waited. Fig took this as a yes and started to play. Normally Fig was loud and brash, but the soft melody was soothing, warm, and laced with a magic that was so very Fig. The child seemed entraced by the song, her sharp eyes watching in awe.

Riz felt the child's body relax as the magic enveloped her. She sighed and laid her head down on his shoulder. Her eyes were still fixed on Fig, her ears pointed towards the sound, but her body was heavy and still. Her grip losened as the magic did its work. Fig continued to play the soft melody as the amber eyes watching her fluttered closed.

*****

Special thanks to @plutosfury for helping me brainstorm the OC and to Pluto and @winterpower98 for being my beta readers. Also, thank you to my wonderful readers @fangirlsftw , @the-ipre , @riz-gukgak , @pete-theplug , Winter, and Pluto who helped me get past my anxiety about posting this. You guys rock! ^_^

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